


(I'll Condemn) the world for your sake

by AyumiUK (weirdpianist)



Series: Like blue butterflies in amber [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe, Attempt at Character Death Fix, Black and Gray Morality, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Gen, Humor, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Insert, Twins, chimerism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-01-02 17:03:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 29,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1059356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weirdpianist/pseuds/AyumiUK
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Poisoning the ones who threaten your family is a perfectly acceptable response, no matter what others say.'</p><p>'Strategic withdrawal is not cowardice.'</p><p>'Anonymity is my best partner in crime.'</p><p>As the older sister, teaching them was Serious Business.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gifted

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Português brasileiro available: [(Condenarei) O Mundo por Você](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1064764) by [weirdpianist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/weirdpianist/pseuds/weirdpianist)



**The World for Your Sake**

**Part I: Cycle**

**-** **Gifted** **-**

_"Respect the sea and you'll have a wonderful life."_

From the first glimpse of water and sand, it was love.

I ran as fast as toddler legs allowed, semi-worried parents not far behind.

But they couldn't stay away from the water either. They understood.

I stumbled on an abandoned sandcastle. The rising tide ate the remains soon after.

Tiny feet touched the cold waves.

My life began in water, thrived in water;

Ended in water and reformed in water.

{ **I** _'ll_ _do w_ **hate** _ver_ **it** _takes_ }

Struggling desperately to stay afloat on turbulent water; losing a battle against the tides and succumbing to my beloved sea. Cold water all around, _inside, inside..._

Nothing.

Water, warm, soothing.

A distant lullaby; synchronized heartbeats. One, two. One, two. One.

I tried to reach out to the beautiful sound–

_Please, wait a little bit more…?_

Against all instincts, I did my best to remain **still**.

At first, it was okay; I slept and listened to _muffled_ conversations and the constant percussion of **h** e **a** r **t** b **e** a **t** s.

 **A** _ **g**_ _o_ n **y** like no other. Stabbing, shocking, burning, fr **e** _ **e**_ _z_ **i** **ng** – _'Is it even possible to_ **die** twice _?'_

I think it was a hand, reaching out to me.

The nausea went away, and the excruciating pain gave way to calmness. No, that wasn't quite the right word; it was comforting and amaz _ing and_ … _I slept_.

Time went by, unnoticed in that warm darkness. Throughout that time, the hand never let me go.

 _Light_. **Blurs**. Fragmented s_o_u_n_d_s . **Cold air**.

I **c** rI **ED**.

Then, another scream.

A _gentle embrace_ and the most beautiful face in the world.

The woman smiled and closed her eyes for the last time. Her mouth never moved, yet I understood the words she meant to speak:

_"Protect each other, always."_

{ **I** _'ll_ _do w_ **hate** _ver_ **it** _takes_ }

I finally found something worth more than the sea. So thinking, I braced myself, opened my mouth wide and. And. My jaw froze. I couldn't bring myself to bite it. I took a breath and tried again.

Ew! Bitterer than Spanish roast coffee, sourer than powdered citric acid and a stronger smell than overripe jackfruit! Somehow.

_"Respect the sea and you'll have a wonderful life."_

The inability to swim ever again isn't such a terrible price after all. Let's just hope I don't drown myself to death agai–

Uh, is it too late to regurgitate?

* * *

**[I'll condemn] the world for your sake**

Prologue end_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:  
> Canon levels of violence;  
> Dark themes (canon-typical, but from the perspective of a somewhat idealistic 21st century earthian)  
> Swearing (I avoid it as much as I can, but... pirates, bandits, sailors, etc).
> 
> So, I wanted to write a self-insert, a twin parody, a dark!fic and a One Piece flashfics collection. Combining them all seemed like such a good idea at the time…


	2. Nurtured

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's no need to scroll down for every single foreign word, as it's mostly understandable in context. For those who still are curious, I did add translations in the end AN.

**-** **Nurtured** **-**

My perception of time was hazy at best.

The only certainty in this strange place was the warm bundle next to me, so I scuttled closer and slept.

* * *

Life as a baby was aggravating, to say the least: I couldn't see; couldn't eat by myself; couldn't walk (and that meant nappies—the reusable kind, which would be fine if only whoever was changing them knew how to wash them properly. The incessant _can'ts_ and _don'ts_ piled up to an unbearable weight that slowly squashed my patience. Add that to the fact everything was too loud, too blurry, too frustrating... they got a very unhappy baby.

Things eventually improved when I got the hang on rolling around. My muscles were finally strong enough for two or three push-ups… _'Wait a minute. Push-ups are supposed to make you stronger, right? And strength means walking. Walking means no nappies... ooh yeah.'_

One, two, three, four, five, six, **CRAMP!**

...thus, I spent the rest of the week moaning in distress, clutching my poor neck. Little bro noticed something was wrong and we performed a most magnificent duet of doom. Ah, screaming my lungs out was therapeutic.

_I'm so blaming my baby brain for that._

* * *

_I didn't really notice it at first (probably due to a still developing hearing), but as months went by, it got steadily harder to ignore: the adults spoke gibberish. The only words I could pick out from the strange sounds were Ace and Ann._

As far as names went, those weren't bad. Unless...

_I do hope I'm 'Ann'._

* * *

For some reason, I always knew what Ace wanted. I suspect he could do the same. _'Maybe it is a twin thing?' (Nope, that was just constant exposure.)_

The language was still a mystery, but I needed to communicate–okay, _wanted to complain_ ( _Same thing, right? Right._ ) to someone who, instead of nodding indulgently, could actually understand. So, I kicked common sense out of the window (common sense? What's that?) and started training my pronunciation. A frustratingly hard feat for the untrained muscles of a baby's tongue.

So I did it. In my native language–er, language from the previous life.

Pre-native tongue?

Little Ace didn't like being excluded, so he copied whatever I did. Months went by and the two of us could speak Portuguese fluently.

The adults were understandably perplexed.

* * *

We could walk by ourselves and even sprint for a few seconds.

We could doodle, sing nursery rhymes (that no one else could understand), count and talk to each other. We could do a lot of things we shouldn't, but any form of communication with adults was completely ignored.

Sometimes, I'd catch worried expressions focused on us. Whenever that happened, Ace would frown uneasily, so I tried my best to distract him.

One day, our caretakers got fed up with the situation.

This is how Rune, a petite young woman started tutoring us (well, compared to grandfather, most people were small). She'd point to objects and say their names, and every time we repeated after her, she'd pat our heads and give us an eye-crinkling smile. Soon, Ace grew irritated with the woman's condescending attitude and turned to me, _'Será que ela acha que nós somos cachorros?'_

_Dogs, huh?_

I grinned at him and barked. He grinned back and we started running in circles. Yipping, barking, growling and rolling around soon evolved to a tickling war. The poor woman tried to separate us and failed miserably. I stopped for a moment, and, as if on cue, we both charged straight at her.

A startled cry jolted us into pausing. She was crouched on the floor, round face contorted in a wide-eyed panic and shaky arms raised in an attempt at defending from some invisible assailant.

The following silence, despite her heavy breathing, was thicker than Ace's skull and mine combined.

* * *

_I hadn't noticed at first, but the adults were always absent whenever our 'fessora' (that was Ace's butchering of the word 'professora') visited. The one time she saw Gramps in his uniform, she'd flinched and looked away._

* * *

"Rune," she said, waving a hand in her direction. Then her right hand touched my shoulder, "Ann." "Ace," she pointed at brother.

"Rum," we looked at her, "Ann and Ace."

The young woman surprised us by closing her hazel eyes and throwing her dark brown hair back, laughing in a slightly unhinged way. She smirked, as if to say, _"Close enough."_

From that day on, we reached an understanding and started dedicated ourselves to studying... but mostly goofing around and driving the adults nuts.

That's how I found out our full names. And with that, where I had been reborn.

* * *

_If the events from One Piece were true (and considering what happened so far), that means Ace will die._

"Then again, I shouldn't exist... And look where I am now."

* * *

"B com a vira ba."

I nodded and asked, "Então, b com e vira...?"

"Be!" Ace exclaimed, tracing the letters on our practice notebook. Before I could continue, he proudly added, "B mais a vira ba. A, e, i, o, u. Ba, be, bi, bo, bu!"

"Isso mesmo!" I praised him, before pulling the pencil from his hand and writing some words.

"So, what are you doing?" A soft voice startled us from the writing lessons.

"Ah, Miss Rune! We are doing word-letters things!" Ace happily proclaimed before I could stop him.

"Word letter things? You mean writing?" Rune frowned. "I don't recognize these letters, though. What are them?"

Seeing no point in hiding, I handed her our notebook. She read through Ace's blocky roman script and my neat cursive with a strange glint in her eyes, right hand absently brushing her stomach. I got the unsettling impression she actually understood them. When our teacher flipped to a blank page, she blinked and said, "These are very beautiful. Where did you learn them, Ann?"

Ace, who had been scribbling on a scrapped page, tilted his head. "What do you mean? Ann's always knew that."

Miss Rune was momentarily taken aback, but recovered quickly. "I see. Well, you are a very clever girl, aren't you? The both of you are very special kids." She gently combed her fingers through our hairs. "Don't change, okay?"

I could swear her smile was a bit sad, but she couldn't possibly know of our parentage, right?

We ate quietly that night, not sure what that strange conversation was about.

Rune didn't come back on the next day. As days turned into months, we resigned ourselves to the fact she wasn't coming back.

Dadan told us she'd eloped; Ace's skeptical look went unnoticed by most.

* * *

Miss Rune's house was coated in a thick layer of dust and cobwebs. To tell the truth, house was an overstatement–it was a small one-room cabin lined with shelves and a packed dirt path that led to a small toilet on the outside.

I examined the piles of books and other possessions she had left behind with interest, trying to decipher the mysterious symbols on the covers. It then occurred to me we still hadn't learned how to read in Common, the official language of the World Government.

And it really irked me-knowledge was power, after all. So, when I returned home, I grabbed a book, went to gramps and asked, "Teach me?"

Needless to say, brother sat down by my side with a determined expression.

I didn't know whether to be proud or depressed that Ace could keep up with my academic pursuits. _'Maybe this is all I have to do to keep him alive?'_

In the end, I settled for a combination of both.

* * *

Months later, after we had finally gotten over her sudden departure, the two of us paid a visit to her old cabin again. That's how I found it, tucked under a battered pillow. 'Conquering The New World', read the cover of the book, in a startlingly familiar language. On the first page, there was a hastily scrawled message, in _English_ :

**I have three things to tell you: first, you're not alone; second, I'm really sorry for leaving without warning; third, we'll meet again. –Love, Rune. PS: I leave my cabin and everything inside it to you.**

…what exactly did she mean by 'not alone'?

Some questions were answered by the book; others, not really. But mostly, each answer only generated a dozen more questions.

I decided not to dwell much on them.

After cleaning everything and sorting the books, the shelves were covered with bed sheets to protect them from the dust.

Out of sight, out of mind... and thus, as time went on, I simply forgot that had ever happened.

* * *

Leaf on the river,

Its tiny ripples, unseen…

Keep getting bigger.

* * *

It would be years before I even remembered. By then...

* * *

Nurtured end_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monozygotic twins of different genders could happen in theory, although the only way Ann would turn out healthy would be if Ace was a non-Klinefelter XXY and her genes mutated to XX. So, it's, like, a lot more feasible than IRL devil fruits. And Rouge's pregnancy was really really really irregular in the first place, so what's one more impossibility? (flails)
> 
> Did I get all the Biology terms right...?
> 
> Trivia: Bilingual raised children often mix languages as they speak. It's kind of cute. Especially when they mesh words together.  
> I didn't do that to Ace's speech because it would be annoying. Totally not lazy here. *blatant lie*  
> I got these weird Dora the Explorer vibes now.
> 
> In later chapters, it'll be implied they aren't talking in Common (I didn't make them learn a language just for the sake of it), but I won't write more Portuguese parts and translate at the end, since it could disrupt the flow (even more than my chopped writing). orz
> 
> 'Será que ela acha que nós somos cachorros?'  
> Does she think we're dogs?
> 
> "B com a vira ba."  
> b and a read /ba/
> 
> "Então, b com e vira...?"  
> So, b and e read...?
> 
> "B mais a vira ba. A, e, i, o, u. Ba, be, bi, bo, bu!"  
> (that's self-explanatory)
> 
> "Isso mesmo!"  
> That's right!


	3. Burdened

**-** **Burdened** **-**

I should have been the middle child back in my old life. Should.

How cruel, then, that my first phrase was:

_"Want bro."_

* * *

"Only child? Lucky. Having your parents and room all to yourself... siblings suck."

Every time I heard that, I wanted to punch someone.

Did they know I spent hours talking to my mother's belly and learning all kinds of lullabies? How I started wearing my male cousin's hand-me-downs so we'd have money to spend on baby toys? That I'd asked auntie how to change diapers and how to hold a newborn and safety and, and–

The terror when father ( _hero, the toughest man on Earth_ ) came back home in tears. Mother's longing gaze whenever she thought I wasn't looking and their choked sobs late at night.

How dare they?

I wished it was _their siblings_ who died.

* * *

" _A child, looking after children. So adorable!"_

I wonder if the reason I'd always loved being near children had anything to do with being an only child. Caring just felt right. I thought that was all there was to it.

That is, until I met Anna and discovered the wonders of being the younger sister for a change.

She was two years older and more mature than people twice her age. She was blond, tall and blunt. She took me under her wing and _I would be just like her when I was ten, she'd see!_

Ironically, I'm a blond older sister named Ann now.

Just like I wanted.

_Anna, wherever you are, I thank you for putting up with me. I regret never telling you how important you were, never showing my gratitude for your being there for me. I wonder… do you have any fond memories of the time we spent together?_

_If I'm a good sister to Ace, can I be forgiven?_

* * *

A female, (mostly) blond Ace.

I always blamed what I saw on ripples, or distortions on the river, or the murky bathtub. In front of the mirror, however...

I poked the cold surface. Frowned. Jumped. The reflection did the same. _'Yup, that's really me.'_

_Damn._

_Are these… caterpillars on my brows?_

On closer inspection, my right eye was a few shades darker. And my hair… was oddly reminiscent of a bad dye job, what with those stubborn tufts of black scattered haphazardly. It didn't seem as bad from first person view, when strands got stuck in my eyes or as I brushed it"

_'The brows are easily corrected with a pair of tweezers, I guess. We'll never be able to swap if I don't dye my hair or find a wig, though.'_

'… _I look like a bankrupt punk.'_ I glared at Ace's back. ' _You're one lucky bastard_.' Only to whistle innocently when he shivered and looked in my direction.

* * *

"Bwahaha! You've grown so much! Adults, almost! In a few years, you'll be great Marines and make me proud!"

On our fifth birthday, Gramps started our tortu– _training_. As much as I wished he'd drop dead back then, his methods were probably the only reason I lived for so long… although it's a miracle we even survived to see our sixth birthday in the first place.

"Ten laps around Mount Colubo!" _Okay, easy enough… probably._

"One hundred push-ups!" _No problem! Only, could you please get off my back, grandfather dearest?_

"Too slow! Spread your feet wider or you'll lose balance!" _Couldn't you have said that before throwing me off that cliff…?_

"You footwork is lousier than before! Focus!" _It's difficult to focus when you've got a concussion. Wait, is that blood dripping from my ear? GAH! Dow't feel by dose, I thiek it's broge–_

"Don't complain! These are my fists of loooove!" _If this is how you treat those you love, I'd hate to be your enemy. Wait. Aha! Sly old man, you're conditioning us to fear you so much we won't become pirates! …the sad part is, it's working._

"What kind of Marine can't swim?" _I'm pretty sure 'sink or swim' is an expression… who in their right mind throws two five years old in the ocean during winter? Never mind. Dumb question._

Thankfully, Gramps only stayed for a week… more than twice the time it took for me to become an expert in first-aid.

* * *

"What do you mean by no meat?" _Ah, brother… I'm sure people could hear you all the way to Windmill village._

"That's right, brat. You've got to earn your keep. We're generous enough to give each of you a bowl of rice and a roof over your snotty heads!"

"FINE!" Ace grabbed my hand. "C'mon, Ann. We'll get a huge bear just for us! We won't share even if you beg!" He stuck his tongue out and pulled me out of the shack, slamming the door on his way out.

"I'm hungry."

"Here." I shoved my half-eaten bowl on Ace's hands. "I'm a girl, so I don't need to eat as much" Blatant lie. "Wasting food is bad, so you eat it."

He frowned at me, but ate nonetheless.

"Hey, lil bro. If you keep making that face, it'll stick." He pouted. "Aw, don't worry. See, I'm doing this for myself too." I grinned mischievously and poked his nose, "You're stronger than me, so you've gotta have the energy to hunt something big enough for the both of us!"

"That's true. You couldn't even carry that wolf last week. Heh." Ace put the empty bowl aside and leaned back on the grass. I plopped myself on his right side and rested my hand on his.

Raising his left hand and looking at the stars through his stretched fingers, brother asked, "Hey, Ann… did you ever think that maybe we shouldn't exist?" He exhaled softly. "We are the devil's children, and our first crime was murdering our mother."

"What?" My grip on his hand tightened. "What do you mean by that?"

"I–they said we shouldn't have been born, that the world would be better off if we died." He closed his eyes. "Hanged in front of everyone, so they know what horrible creatures we–"

"Ace…" I inclined my head and looked at him. "What happened? Who said that?"

"You were sick last week, so I had to buy some medicine in Edge Town. Then, there were those men… they were talking about ripping out our teeth one by one… cutting fingers off, joint by joint. Carving filthy words on our backs with a hot knife. I… ran away before they finished speaking."

_What am I supposed to say? He's just a child. And…_

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. ' _Count to ten and breathe…'_ Tears. Frustration, anger, revulsion, hatred and sadness blended. I moved closer and put his head on my chest.

He yelped, "What are you doing?" I held him tight, pressing his ear against my ribs.

"You know, I still remember her smile." Seeing his expression, I clarified, "Mother's, that is." I shuddered."I also remember pain like no other, the certainty I'd die.

I only noticed how much I was trembling when a hand found mine. Just like before.

"Then, you called out to me and held my hand." I traced pulsing veins with my finger. I could map them better than the back of my own hand." Sometimes, I wonder if the black hair on my head isn't yours."

"That's weird." He scrunched his nose. "How do you remember that, anyway?"

"I… I just do, I guess? But that's not really important." I caressed his scalp, and he leaned on my touch, hands tightening around mine. "Do you think I should die?"

"Of course not! Why would you even ask that?" Ace turned to glare at me.

"The sound of my heartbeat–can you hear it? I owe that to you. Mother valued our lives more than hers. Our existence matters to someone. Your existence matters to me."

"But–"

"Isn't that enough? We never hurt anyone. They are the real monsters. Not us." My hand stopped moving and settled on his forehead, fingers drawing gentle circles over furrowed eyebrows. "Never us."

"…"

I knew that wasn't enough to convince him, but that was all I could do. Humming softly at first, I soon remembered a melody and, with it, words. The translated lyrics didn't fit: it sounded more than a little awkward. Even if some syllables stumbled out of my mouth in a jumbled mess, I'd like to think I could convey at least part of my feelings.

_I'm here, always calling out to you._  
When all the tiresome reasons pile up,  
We'll discover the meaning of our birth.

The feel of a wooly blanket woke me up and I caught a small silhouette against the moonlight. A gruff, "Good night, kids," and a pat on my head. Sleepily, I mumbled, "Night, Dogra…"

We slept under the stars.

…Only to wake up in coughing fits, wheezing our lungs out and miserably trying to wipe the snot away from irritated noses.

It was winter, what did you expect?

* * *

Burdened_End

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At some point, Ace asked some random people about Gol D. Roger's "hypothetical" offspring. *goes look*
> 
> Volume 59, Chapter 584, page 14/15.


	4. Found

 

**- Found-**

The future may be set in stone, but some things are harder than stone.

Like my head.

* * *

"Hyah!" Ace's right fist scraped my left ear. 'Shoot, too close!' "Ow!" His left did connect to my cheek, though. "Hah… hah…" I stepped back, took a deep breath and schooled my features into a blank look, ignoring the pain of a forming bruise.

"Give up yet?" He smirked. My nonchalant demeanor soon paid off when he scowled for a moment. 'Now!' I sped towards him, feinting when he moved his hand to parry a punch. I spun on my right foot and kicked his temple hard enough to disorient. He stumbled, and I seized the opportunity to glomp him, laughing maniacally as I held him in an armlock and gave him a very thorough noogie.

"Geroff!"

"Yay! I won!"

"No, you didn't!" He quickly flung me to the ground and reversed our positions. "Don't celebrate before making sure the enemy is out cold."

"Okay, okay! I surrender!" I raised my free arm and mumbled, "Sore loser."

"It's not that I'm a sore loser. You just suck that much."

I slapped his head in mock outrage. "Just because you're two victories ahead–" and faltered at his wince. "Hey, you alright?"

"You kick harder than a mule," he said, rubbing his head. He paused for a second and added, "You look and act like one too."

I resisted the urge to punt him in the stomach. 'He probably has a concussion.'

"All the good looks went to me, so it can't be helped."

It was very hard.

"And I'm also stronger and–"

"Dear brother," I closed my eyes and smiled. His eyes widened and he started inching away from me. "If you value your balls, you'd better run," I growled. **"Right."** Stomp. **"Now."**

Ace sprinted away, never looking back. When he was out of sight, I plopped down on the ground and started laughing. "He always falls for that!"

I wonder if he ever found out I'd never really do that. After all, I'd always wanted a ton of nieces and nephews to spoil rotten.

…besides, had we ever fought for real, he'd kick my behind. Probably. Well, no; Gramps would appear out of nowhere and kick both our behinds. All the while ranting about improper behavior.

I shuddered. 'Knock on wood, knock on wood; lest the devil appears!'

* * *

Between training, hunting and studying, we barely noticed the passing of time. Well, the seasons were noticeable enough, but their significance was lost to us. Spring only meant pollen allergies; summer brought the mosquitoes and scorching heat; autumn gifted us with soothingly cool wind and food. As for winter… it delivered harsh coldness, but more importantly… snow cones! The treats lowered the body temperature, but they were so worthy it! And cuddling under a thick blanket was just a perfect way to fall asleep… that is, until–

"Wake up, birthday duo!"

**SPLASH!**

"Gah!" Shiver, tumble and roll; bang ("Ow!"), turn and fall ("Oof"!).

Drowsiness forcefully expunged by a bucketful of cold water in a winter morning, we got up, got a new change of clothes and mournfully glanced at our bed. Sighing resignedly, we rubbed the last few traces of sleep from our eyes, yawned, scratched our bellies and headed to the bathroom. In perfect synchrony.

"After all these years, your twin-ness still creeps me out."

What he didn't know (and we weren't telling) was that this wasn't an innate ability–it took painstaking amounts of training (and stumbling) to give off a properly creepy 'twins vibe'.

"Now, now, Dogra," Magra chided, "That's not very nice." With an expert flick of his wrist, the pancake somersaulted and landed back on the frying pan. If Dadan saw him cooking for us, she'd whack him silly–fortunately, she always slept in during winter.

The taller man wiped his hands on a pink apron and set the fluffy pancake on a plate. He was about to pour another ladleful of batter on the frying pan when the front door was kicked so hard it sailed over the table and crashed on his head.

"Happy birthday to you!"

Shivering, we turned to look at our worst nightmare.

The beating that followed was actually quite mild… by that, I mean we only got some yellowish-purple bruises and, in my case, a sprained ankle. Although the sprained ankle had nothing to do with Grandpa–that happened because I tripped on brother's unmoving form as he recovered from a particularly nasty kick to the stomach (and promptly made him shout profanities as his wound turned a few shades darker).

"Hm… you need new clothes," Grandpa muttered (read: didn't shout too loud), inspecting the frayed sleeve of my coat. Fishing for a leather pouch in his white coat's inner pocket, he handed me a wad of cash. "You can use the change to buy something nice," he patted my head and slapped Ace's back.

My eyes widened when I finished counting the bills. 'Gramps… you're giving us a small fortune…!' I quickly donned my best disarming puppy smile and curtsied, kicking brother's shin so he'd bow and (force a) smile. When Garp opened his arms, I jumped and hugged him, "Thank you, grandpa! You're awesome!" What can I say? It made him happy to have a cute, delicate and loving granddaughter with manners. And if reminding him I was his 'fragile, sweet little girl who wants to be a nurse' meant he'd pull his punches, well… survival of the fittest?

I regret nothing.

* * *

The next day started with us trekking down the trail to Edge town. More precisely, I was cheerfully dragging a protesting Ace to go shopping while humming a merry tune–same thing, really. When we crossed the gates, I ran to the closest second-hand store–no use buying new clothes when we'd outgrow them in a few months–and started rummaging through their sales bin. After my pile of possible acquisitions was taller than me, I proceeded to screen the clothing articles more carefully. "What do you think? Anything you like?" I turned to brother and asked.

"Just get over with it," he sulked.

"In that case, you won't mind wearing this pink shirt, right? It's too big for me, but will fit you just right until I grow a few centimeters!" I beamed, shoving a pink monstrosity with more frills than a princess Lolita outfit. _'And it's so cheap too!'_

He stared at it, then turned away and made to run. Before he could cross the dilapidated door, I grabbed his hand, "Nuh uh, you're staying, unless you really want a pink wardrobe. With purple polka dots." I grinned as Ace sighed in dismay and resigned himself to my special brand of torture.

Red t-shirt with black sleeves. "No."

Brown wool coat. "No."

Orange shirt with a blue stylized cat. "…yes."

Black pants with more pockets than fabric. "Hell yes."

Purple 'Okama Way' bandanna. "Why did you even… never mind." I discreetly added that to the 'yes' pile anyway.

Plain blue jacket. "So so."

A pink scarf with fuzzy white fringes and a heart-shaped clip. "No way–" "Sorry, that's for me." Weird look. "What? I'm a girl!" Disbelief. "Jerk!"

And on it went for twenty minutes or so. After that, we headed to the counter and dropped our purchases on it. The clerk, an average looking woman in her middle twenties, put her book down, counted the clothing articles and mentally calculated the price. "That will be three hundred beli, dears."

_'Three hundred? Not bad. Still…'_

I removed some money from my pocket and made a show of counting it. Widening my eyes in the best puppy pout on that side of East Blue, I bit my lower lip and lowered my head. "B-but… hm… I only have two hundred and eighty!"

Her brown eyes softened and she smiled apologetically, "Sorry, those are already at half price. Maybe you could ask your parents?"

I forced some tears out (easy, as I just had to remember that time Ace spilled boiling soup on his lap) and sniffled. Ace took his cue and took my hand, holding back his own fake tears (invoked by the same memory). In a practiced heartbroken tone, he whispered, "Auntie told us mommy and daddy are waiting in Heaven." He tilted his head, "Is heaven too far, miss? Maybe if I call them, they'll come see us?" He rubbed his eyes and looked down, "I miss them." 'Damn, he should be an actor.'

By that point, the shopkeeper was wiping tears with an old handkerchief. Shakily exhaling, she tried to smile, but it came out as a pained grimace. She packed our stuff, carefully folding everything and covertly adding the yellow sundress I had eyed before, as well as a few extra beli. Faking cheerfulness, the woman grinned, "Oh, look here! I think you dropped some money. With what you already gave me, it's more than enough." She handed me twenty beli back and some candies.

I gave her a wobbly smile and bowed. "Thank you!"

"That's ok. Now, off you go!" She patted our backs.

Ace smiled hesitantly, wiped his face and waved, "Bye, pretty lady!"

In our rush, we 'forgot' the bags. Sighing fondly, the shopkeeper stashed them under the counter and sat down to finish her book.

* * *

"See? Playing our cards right, they will pat our heads and smile," I grinned triumphantly.

"Humph, so you were right. Big deal." Ace stuck out his tongue and continued shoving meat into his mouth. "But it's not like everyone's this nice."

"Oh, that's why we have to get a feel before trying anything, brother dearest."

We had stopped at a small family restaurant, right beside the shopping district. The walls were a comforting shade of orange and the old wooden chairs were well cared for. The food was pretty good and the owner kept bringing more and more; all it took was a small question ("Miss, I don't have much money… can I work here for some food?").

"Oh, you're such a polite and responsible young lady! Here, try my special chicken pie." The wrinkled old woman handed me another plate and poured one more glass of fruit juice.

I beamed, wiped my mouth with a napkin and said, "Wow, everything tastes so good!" I took another bite and looked down. "Kinda like mommy's…" Trembling voice: check; abandoned kitten look: check; vict- I mean, owner's favorable reaction: triple check!

After stuffing my stomach, I got up and started piling up the plates. A small kick (gotta love them) to his shin assured Ace did the same with the remaining tableware. We walked into the kitchen and carefully deposited them on the sink. "Acey, can you get that?" I pointed to the corner, where a single stool rested at the foot of a small table. He nodded and put it by the sink. I climbed, opened the faucet and grabbed the sponge. "Can you dry the dishes? Just pile them up on the table."

And so, the woman ("You can call me Auntie Marie!") found us doing the dishes. As 'payment', she packed an enormous meal for us to take home. We smiled politely and thanked her as the little twin darlings we were.

"The nice lady in the restaurant gave us some food, but it's too much for us." I shoved a vegetable pie in the bewildered shopkeeper's hands.

"Ah, and here's a slice of cake for dessert, because dessert's important too!" Aw, Acey… so ridiculously huggable.

The shopkeeper smiled, patted our heads and handed us our clothes (and another handful of candies). "You're so sweet! Thank you."

"See, brother? If we suck up to them, we get discounts, a lot of freebies and they won't chase us off. Everybody wins!" I bounced happily as we traversed the Gray Terminal.

Ace frowned, "Stop gloating already!"

"You're no fun at a–oof!"

"Watch where you're going!" A blond boy shouted, rubbing his back.

"You were running like mad so it's your fault! Meanie," I snapped back, crouching to gather the bags I'd dropped. I was reaching for a top hat when a hand rested on mine. I looked up and froze.

' **I can never be free here!'**

Sabo…?

* * *

Found end_


	5. Foot, Meet Mouth

**Part II: Canon is History.**

**Chapter 5: Foot, meet mouth.**

_Figurative and literally; when I was a baby, I'd spit pacifiers and chew on my toes instead._

* * *

I can hear someone laughing. No, this is a perversion of amusement, a sick mockery of human life. That _thing_ (I can't bring myself to call it human) has its grotesque features segregated by a glass helmet, too pretentious to breathe the same air we do (and I am secretly pleased–that way, they won't contaminate us with their rotten corruption.)

_What drifts about the ocean of woods_

_Is a swaying little boat brimming with sorrow._

_Along wandering souls,_

_A perfectly clear moment of silence._

The boat's skeletal frame is on fire. A single hat remains, untouched.

I grab for it.

…but when I finally reach the tip, my hands grasp at warmth.

plip _plop_ plip _plop_

Something drips on my cheek.

 _plip_ plop _plip_ –

Tangled strings ensnare my fingers and small drops of blood fall down.

The hat's on my head.

I look up.

 _pli_ p _plo_ p _pli_ p p _l_ ** _o_** **p splas** h

There, in front of me, is a body, tangled in wires.

The pool by the feet is as clear as a mirror.

The severed head in it looks up and grins at me, tipping the top hat with a severed hand, held by the strings.

* * *

" **AAAH!"**

"Dammit, my nose!"

' _What…?'_

Someone's holding my hand.

"Ace?"

He smiles gently (and his eyes are suspiciously red, but I don't comment on it). "Took you long enough."

"What happened?" I ask, rubbing my eyes. _'Tears? Why was I crying?'_

He frowns, biting his lower lip (I have the urge to poke him on the nose). "You don't remember?"

Sitting up, I tilt my head, "Should I?"

"Sis, how much is five plus one?"

"Caipirinha?" I reply, scratching my head in confusion.

"Huh? What is tha–never mind." He shakes his head and commands, "Go back to sleep."

"'Kay."

* * *

"Urgh, my head…"

"So, I'd ask if you were better, but your complaining is proof enough you won't just keel over and die."

I looked up to find Ace grinning at me. There was a haunted quality to his eyes, though.

I made to sit up, but a hand quickly halted my attempt. "Don't move yet. You fainted and bumped your head pretty hard–the rock has an impression of your forehead now."

"…You're kidding, right?"

"Er, no. You actually cracked that stone over there." He pointed to a boulder with a big indent surrounded by small fissures in a spider web pattern. Ace's posture and tone of voice indicated he was telling the truth…

"Where's the boy?" I choked, wide eyes scanning my surroundings.

"Ah, the blond with the top hat?" Ace inquired. At my nod, he continued, "He's on the other side of the Ann Boulder."

"Ann Boulder?" I couldn't help but grin, "Has a nice ring to it… perfect! I have a geological formation named after me!"

Little bro burst into laughter.

"I was being serious," I pouted.

"...Ann, one boulder does not a geological formation make."

To my annoyance, another voice joined in the laughter.

* * *

The sun had already set, so the boy–Sabo–offered to let us sleep in his hideout. The trek there was short, but I was glad Ace had a good sense of direction, because that place was a maze. Actually, it was even worse; the shape was always changing as more garbage was thrown onto it, and the stench made focusing on anything else almost impossible.

Finally, we arrived at a shadowed corner, far from the concentrations of organic trash. Sabo looked around, making sure no one was around. Then, he moved a few boxes and motioned for us to follow him into an alcove, before closing it and lighting a small lantern. We walked through a tunnel, twisting in many directions (and I wouldn't know how to get out even if you gave me a map.) Then, he started knocking on random sections of the wall.

Thud thud thud tock

Sabo pushed a panel, revealing a small knob. He turned it, then counted five steps back and pushed a small door. He pulled the lever inside and bowed to us.

My astonished gaping was interrupted when something fell on my head. _'A rope?'_

"Well, what are you waiting for? Climb it!" He exclaimed smugly.

The interior was surprisingly spacious and well lit. The furniture was well cared for. Right beside the bed, there was a desk with a few charts scattered on its dust-free surface; In the center, a table and some chairs. On our right, there was a large drawer and a couch.

"Wow." _'Brother, you took the words from my mouth.'_

"Welcome to my humble abode," the noble bowed with a flourish.

**_Growl_ **

' _Way to go, stomach.'_

"I take it you're hungry?"

I blushed and fidgeted, "We have food. Since you're letting us stay here, it's the least we could do."

He smiled, "That would be acceptable."

As he moved to retrieve some plates, Ace was already sorting our earlier acquisitions.

* * *

The dinner's silence was interrupted by Sabo. "You know my name, yet I do not know yours."

' _Oh, right.'_ I rested my fork on the plate, wiped my mouth with a napkin and said, "Ah, how rude of me. My name is Ann."

Ace was about to open his mouth when I discreetly stepped on his foot. He looked briefly at me, but still swallowed before speaking, "I'm Ace." As an afterthought, he added, "Thanks for having us here." _'Oh, little bro, I'm so proud of you… sniff… you actually remembered to thank him!'_

"Well, I couldn't leave you to fend for yourselves after this afternoon's incident, could I?" He looked at me, raised an eyebrow and smirked.

'Is he mocking me? Damn noble.'

* * *

I watched fondly as Ace kicked the blankets, snoring loudly. Sensing our host approaching, I turned to face him and motioned to the exit.

"So, how did you know my name?" Sabo asked, closing the shuttle behind him.

My heart beat quickened and I froze. "Pardon?"

"You sleep-talk." he eyed me suspiciously. "Have we ever met before?"

"I just know things," I blurted out before my brain could fabricate a believable story. At his questioning glance, I faltered. "Er, I never met you, but it feels as if I've known you forever?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I do hope that wasn't a... what do they call it, a pick-up line?"

Coming from a little kid, it was so cutely precocious I actually couldn't get angry at his jab. My lack of reaction made him raise his brow further.

_Oooooh, what do I do? I can't control my sleep-talking, but if I could explain it away… think fast, Ann!_

_Okay. Just stare vacantly and say random stuff in a dreamy whisper. If all else fails, he'll just think you're nuts… which, come to think of it, is kind of true._

"I've dreamed of you." _True enough._ "You like maps _…?" Well, the desk by his bed did have a few maps and charts._ "Ah, navigating! Freedom? Black flag… pirate?" _Pause, chew lower lip thoughtfully and ask_ , "Whoever heard of a pirate writer? You wish to document your travels? Such a wonderful dream!" _Close your eyes and smile sweetly_.

As I finished my impersonation of a mad seer, he was gaping comically, wide fish-like eyes and everything. _'Damn, just fall for that already! I was really into supernatural stuff at your age… even if I'm your age now.'_

After a few minutes of silence, I grew impatient, donned my most innocent expression and leaned towards him, "Say, if you ever set sail, you'll need a doctor right?"

That seemed to break him out of his trance. "Er, yeah."

"Great! So it's settled! I can also cook and sew clothes and sails, and even people, in a pinch." I paused, thinking of all the experiments with leather from our hunts... and their resemblance with horror movies afterwards. "Although I'd like to get some more experience and a better guide before doing it on people I actually like, hehe!"

Sabo shot me a midly horrified gaze.

"Acey is an excellent hunter, scavenger and general badass." I mimicked his fighting stance." As an afterthought, I added, "And if we're in danger, just use him as bait, he doesn't mind. Much."

"Uh, what?"

I impulsively grabbed his hand before he could run, and led us back in his hideout. Stepping over Ace's head, I pushed Sabo onto his bed. Before he could open his mouth to protest, I covered his head with a blanket, uttered a quick 'good night', turned the lamp off _(how did he have electricity there, anyway?)_ and plopped down on the couch.

_Well done, Ann. You messed up big time. Mad seer, really?_

_Aw, shut up. I doubt you could come up with a better excuse on the spot._

_You do realize you're talking to yourself, right?_

Ignoring the voice in my head, I buried my face in the blanket I had stolen from Ace and mumbled, "Maybe I can convince him it was all a dream?"

_Are you an idiot?_

_Shut up, voice._

* * *

Foot, meet mouth end_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or 'Ta ga Tame no Sekai' (The World for Someone's Sake). Oh, and the song Ann butchered in chapter 3 is Karma, by Bump of Chicken. The fomer is the ending of the third arc of the Tales of Symphonia OVA. As for the latter, it's the main theme from Tales of the Abyss (both game and anime use the same theme).
> 
> The reason the translated lyrics differ from the actual lyrics is simple: Ann couldn't remember it very well.
> 
> Thanks for reading~~


	6. The Road to Hell

**The Road to Hell**

...is paved with good intentions.

What about the road to heaven?

...also paved with good intentions.

* * *

"Is it true…?" Sabo asked, wonder evident in his quiet voice as he munched on a toast.

So he was still a child.

The world hadn't managed to stomp that faith yet; not completely, at least. I had tried to protect Ace's innocence, but it was so hard… whenever he looked at me with those eyes full of doubt and self-loath, I wanted to hold him and cry. But Sabo wasn't so broken yet, he still had hope. His determination and dreams were still–

A part of me felt horrible for betraying his battered trust.

But I smiled and nodded, carefully wording my speech. ' _I have to sound wise, but not condescending, and establish a sense of kinship by pointing out our similarities.'_

"Why is it that parents bestow such burdens on children? The three of us are trying to escape the long shadows cast by the ones who brought us to life. For seemingly different reasons, we chase after the same dream: freedom."

Apparently, that was the right thing to say. He smiled hesitantly and let me hold his hand.

Inwardly, I sighed in relief. _'Disaster averted… for now.'_

* * *

I had forgotten a very important detail. In fact, calling it a detail was a gross underestimation.

"What were you doing outside?"

How could I even forget my darling little brother in the first place?

"Huh?" was my articulated reply.

Ace had just woken up, most likely by the scent of buttered toast and milk. He yawned, stretched his neck and elaborated, "Last night, I heard the shuttle closing, then some very loud 'whispering'."

"You… heard us?" I looked at Sabo, silently asking for help.

_'Not my problem'_ , his expression seemed to say. He emphasized it by leaving.

Ace leaned on his chair, swallowed a double cheese sandwich with the help of a gulp of milk and set his cup back on the table. "You know, that explains a lot. You always knew things you couldn't possibly have learned, considering we are always together. Also, that 'twin speak' is an actual language, isn't it?"

_You caught me. Damn._

"Uh, yes. How did you guess?"

"It was in one of your books, that one about behavioral development Miss Rune left behind." After two years, bringing our teacher up didn't stir up as many emotions, so this was said with only a faint frown. "According to it, twins will often communicate in their own languages, but they are very simple, unlike our so-called 'twin speak'. As if that wasn't enough, creating a functional writing system and consistently applying the same grammar rules when we were three is impossible. It didn't make sense–until yesterday, that is. The missing piece of this puzzle is seemingly deformed, yet it fits perfectly."

_'Did you rehearse that speech, bro?'_ I resisted the urge to crack a joke about his sudden use of difficult words. Especially because that, and the fact he had concentrated enough to read those door stoppers, made Ace sound absolutely adorable right then. "When you put it like that…"

"Oh well," he shrugged, "If you had told me, I'd think you had finally lost it. Er, lost more? Anyway. Your knowledge is really useful, so we should just wring as much profit from it as possible."

_'I created a little monster,'_ was my deliriously happy line of thought.

* * *

"…Why are you still here?"

"Your home is really cool, Sabo!" I cheerfully exclaimed.

"She didn't let me leave!" was Ace's simultaneous reply. Sabo didn't doubt him–that probably had something to do with the numerous ropes tying him to a chair.

Sabo shot me a pointed look, "It's been a week."

Grinning unrepentantly, I put my right arm around his shoulders, "We're friends, right?"

"…You are parasites," the noble deadpanned. Ace protested indignantly, and was promptly ignored.

* * *

"… and that's why you should wear a disguise before engaging in illicit activities such as arson, murder and pickpocketing," I put down the chalk and erased the blackboard, adjusting my glasses (that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere) and sat down.

"I see your point, sis, really…" Ace shuffled uncomfortably on his seat, "…but did you really have to give a two hours long lecture on the importance of cross-dressing?"

Sabo yawned and I glared at them, "Hey, I only mentioned that once! Besides, I wouldn't need to repeat the rest so much if a certain noble would just listen to me. It's a small miracle no one's come to get him back yet!"

Said noble froze momentarily, "How did you… you know what, just forget I asked."

Ace's eyes widened comically, "Wow, you're a blue blood? Why are you living here? Did they kick you out?" In his excitement, he had gotten up and was hovering over Sabo.

"Brother, don't throw so many questions at once, or you'll lose track of the answers."

"That's okay," the blond sighed, "I was born to a noble family of the Goa Kingdom. My parents secured a marriage contract to the princess–"

"–the princess?" Ace interrupted, "Is she pretty?"

I threw a piece of chalk on his forehead. The white cylinder produced a satisfying crack as it imprinted over Ace's right eyebrow.

Sabo's lips quirked upwards for a second, "No, she's the ugliest creature I've ever seen, the only thing that could possibly surpass her face is her upbringing. The prospect of marrying her was terrifying, so I ran away some months ago."

"Are you happier now?" I asked, interrupting Ace before he could spout something insensitive. Or complain about the chalk.

"…yes."

I closed my eyes and exhaled softly. "Why is it that parents bestow such burdens on children?"

Sabo's lips tilted in a sardonic half-smile. "Why, indeed."

Ace remained quiet, looking at us with a puzzled expression.

"So, do you get why disguises are so important now? They are looking for a young blond boy, not for a cute blonde. It's foolproof!"

Sabo face palmed.

* * *

"I totally won that fight!"

"Nuh uh, you didn't!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

Ace shook his head and sighed, "Stop arguing already. Let's just call it a draw and move on."

I whined, "But Acey! I got up first!"

"Did not!" was Sabo's mature response.

"Aren't you the older twin?" Ace asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"By a few measly seconds!" I grinned, sitting down on a patch of grass.

"…only when it suits you," he grumbled under his breath. Before we could resume our 'fight', he drew a circle under our names (mine and Sabo's, that is). "That's twenty-six victories for me, twenty-two for Ann and twenty for Sabo."

"Aw, and I really wanted to win," I pouted, tracing random patterns on the soft earth with a finger.

Sabo soon joined me on the ground. Right on top of my drawings.

"You asked for it!" I roared, advancing on him.

Ace's palm met his forehead.

_'Ace palm, hehe…'_ I resisted the urge to giggle at my own stupid pun. That was all the distraction Sabo needed. He quickly swiped his pipe under my feet and grabbed my hair before I could retaliate. _'Damn, that hurts!'_

If I hit him harder for the next month, no one dared to comment. Ace did wince in sympathy when I used the nutcracker on Sabo... who promptly countered with a vicious punch to my chest, so we were even, really.

_'Humph, you should never pull a girl's hair!'_

I ignored accusing looks and mutters of 'double standards' as one swats flies.

* * *

Before we knew it, winter started giving way to spring. It was still cold enough to drink hot chocolate, but the last snowflake had already melted.

_Chirp chirp~!_

"Stupid birds, go die and lemme sleep s'more," I mumbled, huddling closer to the warmth. _'Yum, marshmallow…'_ I kept rolling to the left, tangling myself in the blankets…

"AH!"

…Oops.

"Damn it! That's the third time you push us out of the bed!" Ace complained, throwing a pillow on my head.

Sabo growled some very inappropriate things that shouldn't be mentioned in a T rated fic. He then got up and stomped his way to the bathroom.

I kicked the blankets and sat up. Shivering as my feet touched the floor, I glanced at the inviting bed one last time, got up and headed to the kitchen.

The small clock by the cupboard read ten past five. _'So that's why it's so quiet in here.'_

I balanced half a dozen eggs in a frying pan stacked on top of a kettle in my right hand and a pack of tea leaves, a loaf of bread and a stick of butter on the left. I dropped everything on the counter and started a simple breakfast.

* * *

"So, do you have _that_ with you?" Ace whispered in my ear.

I nodded, throwing a sideways glance in Sabo's direction. "Yup, it's in my bag. Since it's his birthday, I'll pay for the food."

Ace looked at me in suspicion, "You're being awfully generous today."

"Well, it is his birthday." _'And it's the perfect excuse to splurge on nice food too.'_ I didn't say that out loud, of course.

Before the birthday boy noticed our hushed conversation, I shushed my brother and quickened my pace, almost tripping on a rock in the process.

Two hours later, I spotted a windmill. Then another and another and… "Whoa, no wonder it's called Windmill Village! They are so pretty and big!" I couldn't resist giggling as I skipped merrily on the road, mimicking the movement of the gigantic blades with my arms Being a kid had its perks: people didn't stare nearly as much.

"Although it's my birthday, you seem to be enjoying our little trip the most, psychotic witch."

"Aw, you're so mean, Top Hat maniac!" I huffed, sticking my tongue at him.

Sabo rolled his eyes, "Hard to believe you're older than me."

At that comment, Ace snorted, "I'm almost sure gramps dropped Ann on her head."

"Makes sense," Sabo nodded sagely.

Before another fight could start, an old man called out, "Hey!"

I ran towards him, took a moment to recompose myself and bowed, "Good morning! My name is Ann. The boys over there are Ace and Sabo. We live near Edge Town."

The man smiled, "I see. Well, you seem like good kids, so feel free to explore our little village. If you need anything, just ask. My name is Woop Slap, and I'm the mayor."

By that point, the boys had already reached us, so the three of us bowed and waved goodbye.

"Now what?" Ace asked.

"Now… we eat!" I pointed to a certain bar.

"Why do you even bother asking?" Sabo quipped.

* * *

"Welcome to Party's Bar!" was the warm greeting we received.

Sabo sat by the counter, picked the menu and started browsing. Ace plopped down next to him and read over the other's shoulders. I was about to join them, but an entirely different thing caught my attention: there was a piano on the corner!

A beautifully embroidered cloth covered the modest but well cared for upright piano. It reminded me of happy afternoons, long ago.

Trembling slightly, I walked in its direction, completely oblivious to my surroundings. 'Can I even play it, in this body?'

I shakily opened the lid, removed and folded the felt, placing it on the top. Gently tracing a finger over the ivory keys, I pressed down. The sound was surprisingly clear. I smiled.

I sat on the bench and tried some scales. It was surprisingly easy, despite my initial trepidation. As corny as it may sound, it felt like my soul remembered. Adding that to the motor coordination, toning and similar build of this body compared to my old adult form, and it was almost as if I'd never stopped playing in the first place. Actually, the fact this right shoulder wasn't injured–

This... this body that could play without pain, why did it make me so happy right then?

I shouldn't be so relieved. Spitting on memories, and–

No. They'd be happy for me.

I had to believe...

Hands guided by feelings I'd long repressed; emotions surfacing, surfacing, air, breathe!

After long years submerged, a hand broke the water's surface.

_-you don't have to walk on the sea floor anymore-_

Who...?

Memories, memories.

Unlike that body covered in red ribbons, they resurfaced.

_"You know, I was so sure you'd be a boy! That's why I bought a soccer ball, toy cars... Then, the doctor told us you were a girl. Your mother and I laughed and went shopping all over again. Fortunately, you still liked kicking things around, so the earlier purchases weren't a waste of money," Father tied a blue sash in a perfect bow. "Modesty aside, my little Flower is so cute in sundresses! Especially if said dresses were drawn by papa, right?"_

**-Melanconica;**

_"Ayumi-chan, ojii-san is still with us! He and our ancestors are watching over us from Heaven," Mother held back her own tears as she held me in front of the shrine. "We light senkō and offer their favorite foods to thank them for everything."_

_Tendrils of fragrant smoke rose on the air. On the cold ihai, the paint was still drying, neat calligraphy spelling grandfather's name._

_I grew to despise the once-cherished scent of incense_.

**-Lacrimosa;**

_Sinking, sinking. No one to hear my cries, no one to help me up. What had possessed me to go fishing by myself? Would they find my body?_

_Heh, and I never got to finish writing that song._

**-Morendo.**

_The serene smile didn't fade with her last breath. Portgas D. Rouge's tenderness was so sincere, and her love even more so._

**-Amorosa;**

_"Bwahaha! You've grown a lot! Adults, almost! In a few years, you'll be great Marines and make me proud!"_

_That contagious energy inspired me to train harder. If only we could become Marines together, I wouldn't have to worry about brother so much–Grandpa would be with us._

**-Energica;**

_"Hey, Ann… did you ever think that maybe we shouldn't exist?"_

**-Furiosa,**

_"I–they said we shouldn't have been born, that the world would be better off if we died."_

… **molto furiosa.**

"You'll only die of old age. I promise."

**-Risoluta.**

* * *

I didn't bother with a proper cadenza, nor did I slow down before stopping. That sonata would only end with my last breath.

(what is the outcome of rash promises?)

* * *

The Road to Hell end_


	7. Screw Butterflies

**Screw Butterflies**

"There are tens of thousands of species of butterflies. Multiply that by a freakishly large number.

If every flap of a single butterfly's wings caused a hurricane..."

Ah, the landscape would be very interesting.

* * *

"No, Sabo! You're too young to elope! Especially with–"

**SPLASH!**

"…do I even want to know?" Ace asked, failing to conceal a twitching eye.

I looked away, "Er, probably not." Wiping the cold water from my face, I frowned, "What's it with people waking me up like this? I'm not a plant!"

Heedless of my complaints, Ace put the emptied glass on a table and called, "Oi, Sabo! She's up."

At that moment, a young woman kneeled by my side. I muttered a small 'thank you' as she handed me a fluffy pink towel and vigorously scrubbed the water away, along with the lingering traces of drowsiness–and probably a few layers of skin.

"Miss Makino, what do I do with these?" Sabo asked from the kitchen door, balancing a few plates on a tray.

"Can you put them in the sink? I'll wash them afterwards." She smiled and went back to the counter, "Thanks for helping."

"What happened?"

"You fell asleep, dummy." Ace grabbed my hand and pushed me towards the nearest seat. "I won't even ask when you learned how to play an instrument –not now, at least. But this is not the first time you fainted out of the blue. These black outs are getting too frequent for my liking."

 _'Lil bro… you do care after all!'_ His worried face made me melt a little inside. I tried my most reassuring smile and held his hand, "I don't think it's really that serious, but I'll go to the doctor tomorrow, ok?"

Ace harrumphed and crossed his arms, "You'd better!"

And then it occurred to me. I hadn't even asked for permission–oh gods, nononono!

"I'm sorry for intruding like that, Miss Makino!" I bowed so low I face planted.

She worriedly helped me up before saying, "Don't worry, I'd have locked it if I really wanted to. As it is, it's nice seeing a young girl who loves music..."

_...so nice!_

And then, I remembered. Glancing around to make sure the birthday boy wasn't within hearing range, I whispered conspiratorially, "You didn't give _that_ to him while I was out cold, did you?"

"Of course not," Said my darling little brother. He then cuffed me on the forehead. "You pestered me for weeks about that, remember?"

"Oh," Was all I could say in response. 'Well, I may have threatened him a little… ok, a _lot_.' Reluctantly, I muttered, "Sorry."

"Don't apologize." Ace shivered, "That's just too weird, coming from you."

Ignoring his (hopefully) playful jab, I walked to the stool by the piano and retrieved my bag from the floor. "Let's ask if we can use the kitchen for a while. We can give him our present later."

Ace nodded and followed me.

* * *

Surprisingly enough, Makino agreed, and even refused any form of payment. She was absurdly nice, and for a fleeting moment, I contemplated the benefits of marrying her… a thought that was viciously repelled by a blushing Ace. _'Is that the beginning of a crush?'_

I checked the small icebox for cake related ingredients. "Strawberry jam, eggs, butter, milk, cream… pickles, bread, cheese…"

Ace stared, "…pickles?"

"Yum, sardines!" Then, his question registered in my mind, "those aren't for the cake. It's just… I haven't eaten anything for a while."

"Aren't you abusing Miss Makino's hospitality?"

"She did say, 'feel at home'," I waved unconcernedly, completely forgetting my earlier faux pas.

* * *

Half an hour later, we had a list of available ingredients and utensils. The dishes and sink were washed, and the table was clean. It then occurred to me that place was a bar, and there should be costumers and whatnot… so why did Miss Makino lend us the kitchen?

"Miss Makino said she only opens the bar during the day for any visitors and to clean it, so we don't have to worry.

Had I said that last part aloud? Recently, I had been doing that more and more often. No matter. I nodded absent-mindedly and started listing possible recipes, "Acey, have you got anything special in mind?"

"Sabo likes fruits, so maybe a naked cake filled with strawberry jam and custard?"

"That's a great idea, bro… but there isn't enough jam for an entire cake, and strawberry is out of season now. There are many citric fruits, though."

" _Your father's tastes are exasperatingly expensive, so his favorite dessert is really unexpected. You can't go wrong with a hearty cornmeal cake and fresh orange jam."_

"Cornmeal cake topped with orange jam…" I mumbled.

He then grabbed my hands. "Ann, stop it. You'll hurt yourself."

"Huh?" Only then did I notice the pain of fingernails digging into my palm. I let out a choked sob and tried to steady my quickening pulse. "Please… can we make that, Acey?"

"Sure, whatever you want, sis," he sighed, grabbed some kindling and went to the oven to start the fire.

"Then… we should start with the _mise en place_. We'll need four large eggs, one cup of flour, one of cornmeal…"

* * *

"Ann, I can't find more wood." ' _Did you just dump that enormous pile of wood in the oven, Ace? Do you want to burn the kitchen down? Oh Gods, there's smoke everywhere!'_

"Are you sure it isn't ready yet?" _'Watched pots don't boil, silly.'_

"Ouch! My hands!" ' _…you are supposed to use gloves to handle freshly baked goods, bro.'_

We suffered no permanent harm, and all our limbs were still attached in their rightful places. So, all in all, it was a success. _'Anyway, who lets two six years old into the kitchen without supervision?'_

And the cake was quite good. Of course, with a glutton–some would say we were both gluttons, but I had to disagree on principle–and a gourmand with years of (unexplainable) experience, it was bound to taste good.

(I kicked a suspiciously cake-shaped piece of charcoal away.)

* * *

It wasn't until the table was set that it occurred to me Sabo wasn't there. 'Come to think of it, I didn't see him after he finished cleaning the counter, and that was two hours ago.' "Hey, Ace. Where's our birthday boy?"

"Wow, you only remembered him now?" Ace teased, "Well, I asked Miss Makino to distract him for a while." He scratched his chin in thought, "I think they went to the beach."

"Well then, let us find him, dearest brother."

"What about the cake?"

"Put the cake in that basket over there." I pointed to the counter. "I'll bottle the tea and we can have a party outside. It's a bit chilly, but the sky's clear and there's no wind."

* * *

There, in the distance, was Sabo's unmistakable blue coat and Miss Makino's green dress. But so was a smaller blob.

As we approached, I could make out the features of a young child. Closer yet, it was clearly a small boy. And when he turned, I let out a small gasp and almost dropped the tea.

"So cute!"

* * *

Screw Butterflies end_


	8. Pajamaless Party

**Pajamaless Party**

Small changes… A crucial meeting—five years earlier—isn't exactly everyone's idea of 'subtle'.

Oops…?

* * *

"Can I keep it?"

The awkward silence that should follow such a statement was mercifully broken by the sound of waves and distant seagulls.

"Can I keep it? Pretty pleeeeease?" I asked again, shuffling my feet on the soft sand and hugging a small boy tightly. He didn't seem to mind.

"Ann, dear sister… Luffy's not an it." Ace rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Or a stray."

"Oh. Can I keep him then?" I amended.

"That's better, but I have the impression you still don't get it…" His left eye flickered in mounting irritation.

"But brother, look at his adorable face! And he loves my hugs." I turned to the boy in question. "Don't you, Fluffy?"

"…fluffy," My brother muttered, horrified.

"Yup, Annie is the best!" The incarnation of cuteness beamed.

Ace's scowl worsened even more. "That doesn't count." He shot me a withering glare, "You bribed him with food."

Grinning unrepentantly, I declared, "Whatever works!"

Little Bro sweat dropped. "What about Miss Makino?"

I looked to the rocks, where the woman was still sitting, along with an amused Sabo. "Well, she can come live with us too! The more the merrier."

"Today is not your birthday, Ann."

"Oh." I deflated, "Ok." An idea soon brightened my mood, though. "We are so getting a kitty for my birthday present!"

At that moment, brother's breath hitched. He shivered slightly and took a step back. "I'm not sure why, but that sounded a lot more ominous than it should."

* * *

Our small party was interrupted by a sudden downpour, and we retreated to the bar.

Luffy shook his head, much like a dog trying to dry itself. He was the cutest kid ever. So huggable and adorable and and and—

"Annie, your cake is the best in the entire world!"

"You can call me big sister!" I rubbed a towel on his scalp as Makino went to get a change of clothes for Luffy.

"But Annie is Annie!"

I was completely besotted.

…to the annoyance of a certain twin, who was sulking in a corner–I got the impression he was mumbling something along the lines of, "I helped too," but I wasn't really sure. Sabo was trying (and failing miserably) to contain his laughter.

At that moment, Makino came back. "I brought some of the clothes I've outgrown, so please help yourselves!"

I thanked her and took the bundle of clothes, heading towards the dripping wet figure of Ace. "Bro, you have to dry yourself."

He mumbled again, something that sounded like, "don't wanna," but a sneeze cut off whatever else he was going to say. I sighed and started unbuttoning his shirt.

"I'm not a baby!" He flushed, discreetly glancing at Makino.

My eyes widened as I gawked at him. An image of Ace, unsteady on his feet, superimposed with the present; a six year old experiencing his first crush. "Yeah, you really aren't."

I probably had a strange expressionon my face. He kept staring at me with puzzled confusion.

* * *

The storm raged on, so we voted on staying at the village until it stopped. As dinner time approached, I decided to thank Makino by cooking. Luffy's excitement at the idea of helping prepare the food was adorable…

"First of all, wash your hands!" I instructed the three boys. After they had cleaned properly, I continued, "I do hope everybody likes chicken soup." It was actually a variation of Congee, but I was pretty sure they didn't have it in Dawn Island. No one disagreed, so I started listing off the ingredients, "Chicken, potatoes, carrots, leek, salt and rice. An excellent dish to prevent colds!"

"Now, gather a soup pot, ladle, spatula, cutting board and vegetable peeler," I said, washing the last vegetables. "Ace, get a stool and put it right here," I motioned to a spot near the counter. "Hm, the chicken's still whole… Sabo, get the chef knife and the cleaver."

"The what?"

"The long pointy knife is a chef knife. A cleaver is the massive rectangular blade."

"Got it," he said, an eerily happy glint in his face.

"No playing with it, you hear me?" I ordered in a somewhat stern voice. "Lulu, you're going to peel the veggies."

He made a face, "But I don't like veggies. They're yucky."

"Luffy precious, have you ever eaten meat without salt?"

"Hm, it tastes boring," he frowned, confused by the question.

"Now, lick this," I handed him a pinch of salt in a small spoon.

"Ew!"

"Veggies are like salt: they don't really taste good by themselves, but if you add meat, the food will taste even better than meat alone!"

"Ah, I get it!" He beamed.

Sabo sweat dropped. Ace just looked resigned to his fate.

* * *

"Braised chicken should be done a bit slower. But since this is soup, that's not a problem." I removed the golden chicken pieces and set them aside in a plate. "Now, we sauté the chiffonade leek.

"Lulu, do you want to add the veggies later on?"

The small boy nodded and climbed the stool. He carefully poured the diced vegetables on the pot.

"Sabo, can you get me the rice?" I poured the pre-cooked rice and a spoonful of salt. A hand approached the chicken… "No, Ace! It's still kinda raw inside. Besides, I have to put it back in the pot." I poured some boiling water, covered the pot with the lid and got off the stool.

A loud growl echoed in the kitchen, "Erm, it should be ready in half an hour."

* * *

Makino sighed happily, "That was really good. I'd never thought to add rice to the soup before. Where did you get the idea, Ann?"

"That was one of mommy's recipes," I replied wistfully. 'Damn, now I'm feeling all nostalgic.'

The woman sensed my mood and changed subjects, "Say, would you like to have a slumber party? We have an inn attached to the bar, but…"

Luffy's eyes widened in childish glee, "What's a slumber party?"

"We all sleep in duvets together, play and talk and do cool stuff."

It was a perfect chance to let my boys have a taste of what a normal childhood was like!

'…my boys?'

I looked at Sabo's wondering expression; then, at Ace's disguised interest. Even Luffy, as he bounced around excitedly.

"So I did get my wish, after all. Mom..."

The contented smile fell before it could really form, 'How is that fair? I even went and died before giving you any grandchildren…'

All the feelings I thought I'd lost, all the things I cowardly buried—

Tears and snot and a deep sense of loss took over my face, and I choked.

There wasn't a piano to serve as refuge.

Warmth enveloped me. Mom, is that you?

Something soft wiped the tears from my puffy eyes. In front of me, Ace was holding a small handkerchief. He worriedly looked past me, so I turned and saw dark hair and distraught brown eyes.

The face was all wrong.

I swallowed the tears before they could overwhelm me again—it wouldn't do to ruin Sabo's birthday even more.

Makino awkwardly patted my back, and I noticed for the first time how young she really was. She couldn't be older than the age I was when—

'No, I'm not even going there.'

"So, are you feeling comfy in there?" Sabo asked slyly.

"Wha—"

I heard a small cough and looked down, only to jump in mortification.

"Annie looks like a tomato!" Luffy quipped.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Miss Makino!" I stammered and bowed.

The woman only smiled, eyes crinkling in amusement, "Well, you're very light, so it was no problem. It was like holding a life-sized doll."

"A very snotty one!" Was Sabo's helpful comment.

"Y-you! Come back here, you insufferable cretin!" I shouted after Sabo's retreating back.

"Stupid older sister," Ace huffed. "Here I was, worrying about nothing."

Something poked him. "Hey, Acey?"

"What's it, Luffy?"

"What's a cretin?"

* * *

Oh, oops. Damn. How do I explain that to a little kid? I shot an apologetic look at Ace.

Wait, he is getting away!

Sabo frantically examined his surroundings, futilely trying to find an escape route.

"It's useless. Surrender to your fate," I whispered sinisterly.

He stepped back, until he touched the wall. The boy braced himself for impact, only for…

"Thank you." I hugged him.

"You're welcome."

* * *

In the end, we were too tired to play the card games I had packed. So, the five of us (Makino had enough common sense not to let four kids alone in a bar) settled down on the futon Makino had extended on the floor and huddled together.

I got the distinct impression we were forgetting something…

Something really important.

What could it be…

"AH!" My loud exclamation violently tore the others from dreamland.

"What now, you screechy witch?"

Not bothering to respond, I ran to the counter, turned on the lights and grabbed my bag. I rummaged through it and removed a small box.

"Happy birthday, Sabo!"

As Sabo started opening his gift, Ace approached me and whispered angrily, "You threatened me to keep it secret only to almost forget the most important part!"

Completely ignoring my brother, I asked, "So, do you like it?"

Our dear birthday boy smiled widely, a very familiar pair of goggles in his hands, "Yeah, it's awesome!"

"Last month, Ann badgered me to buy it. She was all, 'Acey, I'll pay you back later!'" Ace glared at me, "Obviously, she didn't."

"Well, Sabo's happy, so all's good, right?"

Ace's expression softened, "Yeah, it is."

* * *

The morning after the storm, there wasn't a cloud as far as the eye could see. That was reason enough to postpone our return once more.

"Acey, do you like playing in the mud?" I asked. From my seat, I could see Luffy attempting to sneak a large ham from the kitchen as Makino pretended she didn't notice him.

"I guess," he replied in between bites. Granted, most of those times involved either rolling around in fights or the times I had to improvise a writing board to teach him something that our books didn't cover—as few as those things were, considering the size of our library.

"I never got around to teaching you anything artistic, because we lacked the materials. Sand is an excellent way to stimulate creativity. Also, it's very fun!" I punched the air in the general direction of the beach.

"Sis, you're pointing to the opposite direction."

"…I knew that."

* * *

What was to be a single afternoon, somehow, became a slumber party that lasted an entire week; our wish to go back had waned with the clouds.

Unlike Ace (and Sabo, to a lesser degree), I had no shame in admitting my reluctance to leave was due to a certain little boy.

* * *

From the safe distance of my favorite rock, I was watching the boys' attempts at fishing. Ace was fairly competent, but even a master fisherman would be thwarted by Luffy's enthusiastic(ally loud) cheers. The fish were—quite justifiably—afraid of their fate and did not dare approach that area.

"You know, Luffy's been alone for quite some time." Makino muttered.

"Huh?" Was my intelligent response.

"This is a small village, so there aren't any children near his age, me and the mayor are the only ones who look after him."

I frowned, "Why is that?"

Makino sighed. "One year ago, Luffy's grandfather came here and asked the mayor to look after him." She lowered her voice, as if telling a secret, "I think his parents are dead."

'It's not like Garp can raise children in the headquarters…'

She startled. "How did you know his name?"

"Er, did I say that out loud?"

From her unimpressed stare, I could safely assume that yes, Makino had heard it clearly.

_'Blabbermouth, thy name is Ann.'_

_Should I tell the truth? Actually, should I even know the truth?_

Bullshitting it was.

That's how I acquired a younger cousin, son of my dear late aunt, Portgas D. Ruby.

_'At this rate, I'll spew enough bullshit to fertilize the entire world.'_

* * *

Pajamaless Party end_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much drama!  
> Still, the angst took less than 10% of the chapter. And no more Angsty!Ann for a loooong while. Because as dark as the title is… the beginning is very light hearted.
> 
> Ace, a six year old, had to explain ableism and context to a toddler by himself. Poor guy.
> 
> We are almost at the beginning of the manga. Which means… Shanks!


	9. Red Afternoon Skies

 

**Part III: Meetings and Farewells**

**-Red Afternoon Skies-**

_Hustle and bustle, every single day._

_Life repeats itself across seasons._

* * *

"As the older sister, it's my obligation to provide proper education. That means I'll try to teach you all sorts of things that can't be learned in the wilds!"

Surprisingly, that declaration met no protests. Maybe not so surprising, actually. The island lacked a proper education system, and peasants sometimes didn't even learn how to read, much less Biology or Math beyond counting money and how babies were made. What it did mean, though, was that kids had no concept of school and thus didn't know what to expect.

Putting it that way… what if I traumatized them with tedious subjects? They'd never pursue academic improvement willingly! _'Ah gods, is this how teachers feel?'_

A hand lightly shook my left shoulder. "Ann, are you still with us?"

"Mondays will be reserved for Languages. Learning other languages makes you smarter, so you'll learn other things faster too!" I shrugged Ace's hand off and continued as if I hadn't had a mini meltdown only seconds earlier.

Sabo tilted his head, "What other language? The entire world speaks Common."

"That will be covered in our first lesson. That's why you have to help me move these chairs to our library." I pointed to a slightly battered set of chairs right to our left. After years living in a hut that lacked even flush toilets, I had no qualms about scavenging through the Gray Terminal.

Sabo eyed me incredulously. "You have a library? I've been to that shack you call home for months and never saw a single book."

It was Ace, though, who pointed out the most relevant part. "You expect me to move them all the way to the Cabin, don't you?"

I smiled sweetly. "Of course! You have no problems with carrying a whole bear for hours. A few chairs can't be that difficult, right? After all, you're the strongest out of the three of us… and I promise not to make you accompany me next time I go grocery shopping."

"Fair enough."

Ace didn't hate shopping per se, just shopping with me. Probably because I was easily distracted and bought a bit too much to carry comfortably, but. Eh, had to get my entertainment somewhere, in this internet-less world.

"Sabo, can you go back with Ace? I'm going to High Town to get a few supplies we'll need, and we can't risk anyone recognizing you…"

Once alone, I climbed the walls and headed to the Northern residential area, where the moderately-influent nobles lived. There, I circled around one of the buildings until I found a room decorated with frills and more stuffed dolls than stars in the sky. From the dress thrown by the bed, I could safely assume it belonged to a girl close to my age. _'Perfect!'_

I snuck inside and went directly to the closet. There, I liberated a small box of hairpins that had been thrown on the floor and a dress that didn't make my heart cry—the latest casual fashion from Mariejois was even more questionable than the norm. I didn't have anything against colorful clothes and unusual designs. But sheer black skirts painted with rainbow-colored geometric figures-neon at that-and spotlights suspended under cage crinolines with wheels to support the batteries for said spotlights? _There's something seriously wrong with any piece of casual clothing that weighs more than thirty kilos..._

I closed the door and exited the room through the same window. From there, I went to the other wing and found an unoccupied guest room. It was easier than it looked: family quarters were always built facing the Castle, and the guest wing on the opposite side.

_I vaguely remembered reading somewhere that it began when Verin Bredars II decreed the first thing all nobles should see was his magnificent self, as he was the reason the sun even shone upon the people_ , or something like that?

_Really, the history of the Goa Kingdom was fascinating—in a sort of horrified 'are-they-for-real' kind of way. Then again, most events in the pages of History tended to invoke those feelings._

Inside the guest room, I ran for the bathroom and took the most luxurious bath I had taken in months. Incidentally, the last time happened when I had broken into Sabo's old home to retrieve a few of his belongings (and relieve his parents of several hundred thousand beli, because they actually left it lying around).

I dried my hair and made one French braid on each side. Using the pins, I rolled them into a bun. I quickly put on the dress and carefully climbed out, cursing the length of the skirt—the owner of the dress had feet the size of the East Blue, so I had to choose one that didn't show my sandals.

It was during times like this that I missed the comfort of my old life. Especially ballpoint pens! The only other alternative here would be quills, but I wasn't confident in my own abilities with something as frail as a feather, let alone two genuine six year olds with too much strength in their grip. Also, the lack of plastic meant I'd only find school supply items in specialized art shops. Hence, the excuse to cospla—I mean, _infiltration mission_.

"A good day to you, mister artisan." Before he could say anything, I tilted my nose in a slightly irritated fashion and continued, "Mother told me I should not come to the shop, as it is a commoner's job, but I find myself in an awful situation. That useless female servant cannot comprehend simple commands and forgot to pack my supplies before we came to visit this dreadful country. I cannot suffer her incompetence another time, so I came in person to find the right supplies… that is, if you have them?"

"We only work with the best here, milady."

"Good. I require one box of ink sticks and a standard set of brushes from Wano, a complete set of pigments from Alabasta, one bottle of giant squid ink, two gold-tipped pens and one high-density steel-tipped pen, a set of rulers and a bow compass set—all in Chromium! I abhor those unprofessional gold ones Father collects—and a bottle of Flevance White."

At the mention of the last item, the shopkeeper paled. "We have everything you asked, but only a small vial of the signature Flevance Ink. You see, the island was recently decimated by a plague. I'm told there were no survivors."

"…is that so?" 'Could it be something as mundane as that? Maybe this is really what it seems—it's not like all that goes wrong in the world can be attributed to the World Government…'

Lots of people had died. Okay, but the only loss I could lament right then was that of the closest substitute for liquid paper…

— _it's so easy to brush off tragedies when they don't affect you directly—_

* * *

And so, the cabin that once belonged to our teacher became a classroom. The bed was relocated to our bedroom at home (the mattress, though, was beyond salvaging) and replaced with an old table and the retrieved chairs. The only wall that hadn't bookshelves was promptly covered with an old blackboard—courtesy of the ever-bountiful Gray Terminal.

"When you said library, you weren't kidding! Not even my old house has so many books."

"Our old teacher had all kinds of rare books, and she gave us this cabin as a farewell gift…" I murmured wistfully, eyes fixed on the sheets we used to cover the bookshelves. "Anyway, since we're all here, let's get down to business."

"So, are you going to answer my question now?"

"Of course." I took a breath. "A long time ago, a kingdom rose, gaining power at unprecedented rate. Advanced technology, the likes we can only dream of, was commonplace. Many countries fell to their three powerful weapons, named after forgotten gods: Poseidon, Pluton and Uranus. Eventually, though, all things must end. Twenty kingdoms, under the same banner, fought against their shared enemy. Afterwards, they established the World Government and subjugated the entire world."

"That was around eight hundred years ago, right?" Sabo asked. He had actually taken notes. A six year old kid was paying attention and taking notes, which, at a quick glance, had impeccable grammar and neat penmanship. _'Violin, Etiquette, Calligraphy, History… did Sabo ever sleep when he still lived as a noble?'_

Ace had filled his notebook page with small, ink-smeared concept maps—that reminded me I had yet to instruct him on the proper use of the blotting paper. Wait. Concept maps? Sabo's notes could be explained as tutoring for the heir of a noble house. But did Ace just come up with the idea of concept maps by himself?

'These kids are geniuses…' Aloud, though, I said, "The shadow of the Great Kingdom still loomed over them. Afraid of the weapons they could not control, they sought to erase all facts from history. Thus, we have the Void Century, one hundred years spanning the rise and fall of a titan."

Ace frowned. "Wait, that's it? They just up and made everyone forget? How does that even work?"

"Ah, they burned all documents and killed off any who were caught teaching or learning about it. The government never managed to erase them completely, though. The fallen king had ordered the creation of special stones to register their history for all who could understand their language. Unable to destroy those stones, the Government destroyed the language itself. For that end, they enforced the Common Language and a unified currency, persecuting any who went against their policies. I'm going to teach you one of these languages. That makes me kind of a criminal, so don't blabber, kay?"

Sabo couldn't contain his excitement at that. "Does that mean I'll finally understand your twin-speak?"

Ace's shoulders tensed a little and I sent him a reassuring grin. "I was thinking of another language entirely. You see, I have no idea what Ace would get up to should we leave him to his own devices for too long…"

His lips quirked upwards and his tenseness dimmed. "Nah, it's okay. I'd like to have our own language. That can be our code; think of all the advantages!"

"So, from today on, we won't speak Common when it's just the three of us, deal?"

"What about me?" Sabo asked indignantly.

"Ah… the best learning tool is complete immersion." I smiled sweetly at him and leaned over the table.

Right by his side, Ace looked in my eyes and we shared a perfectly-mirrored sadistic little smirk.

"You know, Ann's hair completely ruins your attempts at creepy twin vibes."

' _...that's it. I'm dyeing it at the nearest opportunity.'_

* * *

Months became seasons, and they soon piled up as years.

So much happened, and good things out-weighed the bad by a large margin.

Lessons, theoretical ("Red or yellow and black usually means they are—Ace! GET AWAY FROM THAT POISO…nous frog. Damn.") …and practical alike.

Survival in extreme conditions. ("Bwahaha! Marathons under hailstorms are so refreshing!")

A refinement of vital skills: extortion, fraud, theft, burglary, and that one case of arson (Ace: "I swear it wasn't my fault! …but the explosion was kind of really awesome."). All done under the cover of anonymity, of course.

Life went on, and our visits to Luffy and Makino slowly transitioned into month-long stays.

Most of the books were eventually moved to a vacated building across the bar. Then, people grew curious, and some asked to borrow them. Others decided to add their own books to the collection, while the artisans provided journals and hand-written instructions for their crafts.

Before anyone noticed, Windmill Village had its own library.

My tutoring sessions with Sabo and Ace started to include Luffy. Then, all the young children in the village were sent my way… until we had a school. Not fish-school (which would be more believable), but an actual-people-school.

' _I, Portgas D. Ann, age nine and six months, am the founder of the first school in Dawn Island._ _How is this my life?'_

A dozen kids of varying ages—half of them were preadolescents, actually—were looking at me expectantly from their seats. Well, except for Ace ("Why do we have to share?"), Sabo ("Don't complain. She's getting paid for that—granted, it's a pittance. But money's money.") and Luffy (School is so cool!")

'… _I'm sure this is a cosmic joke, but what's the punchline?'_

* * *

Turned out those frequent bouts of unconsciousness weren't the beginning of a cold or stress, as I'd initially thought. No, it had to be narcolepsy, of all things. Relieved, Ace didn't hesitate to exploit my newfound medical condition. Pranks. Pranks. All. The. Time.

' _Just you wait, Ace… soon, it'll be you who falls asleep right on top of your foo—'_

Snore.

* * *

It was a clear Saturday afternoon, and the four of us were returning from the nearby orchard after helping with the harvest. That year had been especially good, and the Sato family wouldn't be able to pick so many fruits in time. So, they made a deal with Makino: she'd get four times her original order of grapes plus whatever the five of us could pick in exchange for a few bottles of Makino's home-brewed wines when they were ready.

But even Makino couldn't handle the sheer amount by herself. So, we had the task of preserving the fruit in whatever way.

My daydreams of apple cinnamon compote, peach jam, crystalized strawberries, and dried plums was interrupted by a dragon. A wooden dragon attached to the biggest ship I'd ever seen.

"Already?"

* * *

Red Afternoon Skies end_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luffy later found out school wasn't all that great, but that's beside the point...
> 
> Ann's narcolepsy won't be mentioned much because this fic is told in first person-she can't narrate if her mouth's too occupied snoring. *shot*


	10. Red, red everywhere

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic will forever remain in the Gen category, but that doesn't mean I won't mention romantic-ish things at all. Especially Ann crushing hard on people. Also, Hancock's delusions totally count as romance, right? Right? (flailing)
> 
> To make things easier for everybody (including myself):  
> Ann and Ace's birthday: January 1st  
> Sabo's: March 20th  
> Luffy's: May 5th
> 
> Fic timeline:  
> Ace/Ann:6, Sabo: 5 –from chapter (4 to the end of chapter 6). During chapter 8, the trio is 6, Luffy is 2y10m.  
> The Red Hair Pirates's first visit is around May, so their ages are as follows: Ann/Ace/Sabo: 9, Luffy: 6  
> The last visit happens around June of the next year: Ann/Ace/Sabo: 10, Luffy: 7.
> 
> The recipe (created by a person named Anne!):  
> apronstringsblog dot com/savory-summer-porridge-bacon-sharp-cheddar-fresh-tomatoes-and-chives

**-Red, red everywhere-**

_Send news from that corner of the world._

_Tell me, who stayed?_

* * *

"Welcome to Party's Bar. What would you like to order?"

"Huh? Who said that?"

"Captain, look down."

Shanks looked at the beer bottles in the counter. At me. At the bottles. "Benn, what's a little boy doing inside the bar?"

I raised one eyebrow, pointedly looking at the order pad and pencil in my hands. Inside, though, I was almost hyperventilating.

"I do believe _she_ is the waitress." Said the newly-identified Benn, who also raised an eyebrow. Whether he was doubtful of a kid handling a bar or his captain's obliviousness wasn't really clear, though.

"But why is she so young? What happened to hot babes working in bars?" Shanks kneeled on the floor in an exaggerated show of distress.

"Would you like to come back in ten years?" I asked in a deadpan—the only other tone of voice I could manage besides 'squealing fangirl' right then.

"Haha, the little miss is not impressed, captain!" said a man with dreadlocks. Oh gods, Yasopp?

"Anyway, feel free to choose whatever table you prefer!" Oh gods, had my pitch just risen in the end?

"Hear that, crew? Come in!" Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods, so many customers!

With those words, the bar was flooded by the most varied group of people I'd ever seen, surpassing even anime conventions in their outfits and weapons (and the fact, you know, they were actually real). This crowd, after years living in Dawn Island, was scary.

"I think I'll need to get the tables from the storeroom…" I mumbled dazedly. Seeing the black spikes of hair peeking from the counter, I shouted, "Ace! Go get the extra tables! Sabo, Luffy! You come here and help me!"

* * *

After a few minutes of running from side to side with gallons of alcohol, I decided to put crates of beer (a Windmill Specialty!) and Rum near each table—since Makino kept track of everything in stock, we just had to count the remaining crates in the end. Then, they started ordering food and I relocated to the kitchen, letting Sabo and Ace get the orders. Luffy had gone to Makino's brewery to see if she was finished for the day.

Fortunately, as soon as I saw the ship in the horizon, I had made Sabo fire the kitchen stove and the three communal ovens in the village square … as well as ask Luffy to remove the vegetables, ham and cheese from the storage room for easier access and enlisting Ace's help with making a hundred kilos of bread dough. Now, it was 'only' a matter of shaping the breads, letting them sit for a while and taking them to the communal ovens to bake. Well, I still had to wait for the dough to ferment.

Looking at the window, an idea struck me. Fresh fruit was a luxury for those who lived in the sea… how much could I charge for them to eat to their heart's content?

… _maybe a kiss from the captain?_

At that thought, I slapped my face repeatedly. "Idiot! You're nine for gods' sake!"

Damn.

Damn my preteenager body and damn my idiot crush twofold.

But most of all, damn Shanks' bishieness to hell!...

* * *

"What was I thinking?" I mumbled, looking at the vat of dough, which was at least two times heavier than myself. "But Shanks! Shanks is going to eat it!"

That thought renewed my strength and I finished molding two hundred bread loaves with vigor.

Despite having left it at the hands of two nine year olds, the bar was still standing when I came back. Makino was in the kitchen, preparing sandwiches with the few loaves we had in the pantry, as well as stirring a pot of porridge (freshly harvested oat! The wonders never ceased...). Luffy was probably lost among the sea of people.

"Do you want me to dice some tomatoes, Miss Makino?"

She looked over her shoulders and shot me a grateful glance. "Please. They are already washed."

And so, I started the monumental task of removing the seeds and dicing a whole crate of tomatoes… "One tomato, two tomatoes, three tomatoes…"

"Fifty five tomatoes, fifty six…" After a glance at the vat of uncut tomatoes, I cried a little.

However, right after I put the sixty seventh diced tomato in the container, the timer I had set beforehand rang.

Thanking the gods for their mercy, I went to check on the breads.

I corrected the shapes, covered the bread and ran back to the bar. By then, the sun was beginning its descent, bathing the sky in fire.

"Fire is red. Strawberries are red. Shanks' hair is red..." I hummed happily.

Then, I entered the kitchen.

"…tomatoes are red." And promptly started crying.

* * *

The moon was shining when the breads were finally the perfect texture. I started slashing them. If half a dozen had a heart pattern on top, no one can blame me… right? I then swept the coal and ashes into a large container and mopped the oven floor. With a shovel two times larger than myself, I put the breads in the oven, filled the iron bowls with boiling water, closed the lid and set the timer for thirty minutes.

Deciding against returning to the kitchen, I sat on a nearby bench.

"Yohohoho, yohohoho…" I hummed the melody to myself. It was still beautiful, but…

"I have never heard it sung in Common. How does that sound anyway?"

"And what is the grumpy waitress doing here?"

I turned, lifting my lantern to reveal Shanks' grinning face. "Ah, good night to you, mister Shanks."

"So, I followed the smoke and found a little girl singing a pirate's song."

Now that we were alone, face to face, I actually found my nervousness fading. "Ah, it's just… I know the melody, but not the lyrics."

"But that's not the truth, is it?" I froze. "From what you mumbled, it's almost as if there are other languages."

"Ah… tha-at's…" I trailed at a loss.

"So your name is Ann? You have a twin named Ace. The age doesn't quite fit, though... I know!" He rummaged through his pockets. "Here, read this."

"I have come here and will lead this passage to the farthest ends of the world." I recited out loud. _'Odd…'_ "What's that?"

"You really are the captain's kid after all!"

"Huh?"

"Pffft- Did you even realize what was written? I didn't understand a word!"

"Huh?" I examined the piece of paper again.

English. Frigging English!

"Huh?!"

* * *

"What does that even mean?"

I tilted my head. "You don't know?"

"I may have copied that when the captain wasn't looking," Shanks admitted blithely.

"Ah. I see… um, it's just him stating he was there, wherever there is, and he was going to the end of the world, which I assume is Raftel."

At my words, he deflated a bit. "I've wanted to know for twelve years and it was just bragging… oh well, no helping it." Shanks took my lantern from the bench, put it on the ground and sat down. "You know, a long time ago, the captain used to say his second child would be named either Ann or Ace."

"I have an older sibling?"

"Yes, but I have no idea if she's still alive. When he was drunk enough, the captain would speak of a beautiful silver haired woman he had taken to bed during one of his trips to Ohara. But then, with what happened soon after his execution…"

' _Don't tell me…'_

"Which reminds me, how did the two of you escape the government?"

"Apparently, father made a deal with granddaddy so he would hide us from the marines."

Shanks looked vaguely interested. "And who's your grandfather?"

"The younger boy who's helping us is my darling cousin Monkey D. Luffy." I grinned. Gotta love indirect answers.

At that, Shanks guffawed. "Garp had children, and even grandkids? Dahahaha! That's just too weird!"

Before our conversation could continue, the timer rang.

I stood up, put on the oven mitts and grabbed the shovel. "Well, time to check on the bread."

"I'll help."

"Thanks. You just remove the breads from the ovens and put them there." I pointed to the drying racks with my shovel. "The tools are in this cabinet." I glanced in the opposite direction.

"Heart shaped, really?" He asked, inspecting a piece of bread by the light of the lantern.

I think my face got redder than his hair. His laughter indicated that was most definitely the case.

* * *

"Captain, why are you holding heart-shaped bread?" Benn Beckman asked in a perfectly even tone.

"The captain has a fan!" Someone shouted in the crowd.

As the catcalls and cheers got louder, I was ready to bolt from the bar when an unexpected person came to my aid.

"But, Benny, these are a gift to you, from your dear captain!" Shanks got on one knee in front of his first mate and extended the bread in said man's direction.

At that exclamation, the bar exploded in laughter.

It wasn't directed at me, though.

"…this way, I'll really fall in love, dammit." My whisper was (fortunately) lost in the rowdiness.

* * *

Waking up the day after was easy. The truly difficult part, however, was moving anything other than my eyes.

'That's what you get for baking a hundred kilos of bread, dicing that entire crate of…" I shuddered. "Tomatoes and running around, as well as picking an entire cart of fruit… "

"Ooooooooooooooow."

My sincere exclamation of pain stirred something to my right side. "Ah, so that's why my arm's numb…" For there, lying prone on my shoulder, was Luffy. _'Aw, he's still the cutest kid ever! Heavy, though.'_

How was I supposed to get up and start the day if that meant I'd have to wake him up?

"I'm hungry."

Luffy huddled closer and let out a contented sigh. My stomach growled.

Dilemmas, dilemmas…

* * *

Reluctantly, I carefully replaced my shoulder with a pillow so as to not wake him up. Then, I went to the kitchen to fire the stove… only to scream at the mess on the way.

The floor was completely covered with bottles, and then, a layer of pirates in various states of consciousness and one more layer of bottles, as well as dirty dishes strewn on every surface (was that a… dirty sock hanging in the windowsill?). Sometime yesterday (or today, I wasn't sure), the tables and chairs had been pushed to a corner, lying in disorderly heaps. I was understandably angry.

"What. Did. You. Do. To. The. Bar?!"

My scream was very potent, considering almost all of them startled awake. The special combination of high-pitched voice only little girls in distress had and a pair of very strong lungs was possibly the worst nightmare of hung-over people.

At first, they looked around in a sort of drunken alertness, but then, seeing no danger, relaxed. "Why the scary face, little miss?" Someone asked.

"You- you—Unbeliavable! Look at this mess!" No words could properly convey my fury at these… these… savages!

For some reason, that last phrase startled them more than the initial shout.

"Was that…"

"It can't be!"

"Dahahahaha! Priceless!"

Whatever adoration I had for that man was (momentarily) forgotten as my eyebrows furrowed further. "What do you mean by priceless?"

"Dahahahahahahaha! She didn't even notice!"

After everyone calmed down and cleaned the place (the Red Hair pirates were surprisingly skilled with those chores), we sat down like civilized people and ate a hearty breakfast of cheese omelet sandwiches, fresh fruit, milk and tea (I pretended not to notice the few who 'seasoned' the drink with rum, although I drew the line at beer—who puts beer in their milk anyway?

Then, I finally got my answer:

Some people develop haki in situations of extreme distress.

Others, after years of training, never get close to obtaining it.

I… may have accidentally used it in a fit over cleanliness.

(It got better—or worse, depending on your perspective—when, three days later, I had my menarche.)

"Did I just activate haki as some kind of extreme PMS?"

I vowed to never let anyone discover that particular fact.

* * *

They stayed for five days, which was enough time to unwind and resupply. During that time, Makino had finished with her brewing and we got to making fruit conserve, as well as all sorts of 'exotic' cakes—that is, recipes I had mysteriously acquired, which fetched us enough money to restock the bar and finally start the kitchen expansion Makino had been talking about for years (it was more a case of quantity over quality, because, gods, those people ate so much.)

I had also convinced them to bring spices from places they visited, as well as books and supplies that were more easily found in the Grand Line in exchange for barrels of fruit conserves and a promise to serve new dishes with the ingredient they provided next time they visited.

Ace finally got a few unbiased stories of father. That didn't change his opinion, but I wasn't really expecting that in the first place. What really brought him delight, though, was finding out Shanks had also met mother a few times, though she hadn't been father's wife at the time.

Sabo got to talk with a real navigator, as well as hear all sorts of stories from people who had come from all walks of life. He wrote everything down in his notebook until it ran out of pages. He kept the original for himself and a copy for the library.

Luffy had found a father figure, as well as a new life goal.

For these reasons and more, those were some of the best days in our lives.

The cloudless morning of the sixth day saw them off to the Grand Line. Although the winds were slow, as if reluctant to see our parting, the ship was soon out of the line in the Horizon.

Then it hit me.

' _Can you please tell me about haki?'_

' _Later.'_

" _Can you—"_

' _Oh no! Luffy is climbing the piano again!'_

" _Can—"_

' _Let's play poker!'_

"He tricked me!"

* * *

Red, red everywhere end_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, did the readers think the Reveal was underwhelming? You totally did, didn't you?
> 
> I may have taken this SI thing to extremes. This is RL me from 2013 (injuries, hamminess, slightly self-destructive tendencies and all), so nothing that happened to RL me afterwards will influence Ann, unless she learns/experiences it herself. Some are impossible to learn, like post-2013 fandoms, music, pop cult references, and canon knowledge past chap 720, more or less.
> 
> 000  
> Random info:
> 
> Making bread used to be so difficult! Nowadays, you just have to throw the ingredients in the bread machine.  
> ...adjusting the dough texture, shaping and cutting should still be done manually, though. So in the end, the only thing it does well is kneading. Huh.
> 
> The tomato crate of doom: OP is a Shounen manga. People eat their own weight in food.
> 
> Ann separated the pate ferment, I just didn't include it because it was getting overly detailed. This "recycled" ferment is a precious treasure!  
> Ann insisteds on a perfectly round nine hundred ninety nine kneads. Bad choices all around.
> 
> In order to transport fruit, they have to pick them too early, which means the it doesn't get the nutrients from the tree to finish ripening. As a result, we have low levels of sugar and bland 'ripe' fruits. Importing 'fresh' fruits not only gets you a substandard product (even if labeled 'premium'), the carbon footprint will be the size of the world. Ann is still marveling over truly ripe fruit, years later...
> 
> Yeah, I'll stop the unnecessary food trivia now. orz


	11. Golden Midday Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long. Life happened, and let's leave it at that. I'll finish crossposting as soon as I edit the chapters. Meanwhile, there's a new sidefic. What Ripples are to Waves is basically the PoV of everyone who's not Ann.
> 
> Won't Windmill turn into another Ohara?  
> Probably not. Ann keeps forbidden knowledge to herself (and to a lesser extend the ASL trio). The school isn't a threat.
> 
> Why didn't you show the boy's bonding moments in chapter 10?  
> Ann isn't can't multiply herself to follow everybody. Being 'the eldest', she was too busy daydreaming with fruits, I mean, working to do anything else.
> 
> Are you hinting about a side fic?  
> It happened. And another, a multi-outsider PoV (what I've been doing in the last year, actually). Both can be found in my profile.
> 
> Is this really a darkfic?  
> Darkfic and humor aren't mutually exclusive. Although it really is more of a dorkfic most of the time... gah.
> 
> Any other questions will probably be answered in the story, so that's it, really.

**Golden Midday Sun**

_One thing I like is departing_

_With nary a plan;_

_Even better,_

_Returning whenever._

**000**

"Here's an important lesson: search for as many sources as possible, preferably from different sides. It's impossible to get unbiased accounts, but comparing them is the next best thing. We're in the privileged position of being in good terms with two opposing sides, with granddaddy and Shanks!"

"Admit it. You just like to hear his voice." Sabo teased.

"He's got a damn sexy voice, that's true. But that doesn't mean my advice isn't valid." Half a year of (somewhat) constant exposure to the object of my crush had done wonders for the more… fangirlish impulses. Of course, I wasn't saying those things to his face.

"Do we really have to listen to stories about _that person_?"

"Like it or not, that man was the most influential person in modern times. Learning about him is crucial to understanding the modern world." I knew better than saying father's name when Ace was already irritated. "Now, help me carry the soup to the counter."

"It happened three years after I had been picked up by Captain Roger. We were surrounded by dozens of ships, with no way out." Shanks mused wrily, "I say that, but it's not like the captain would back down anyway."

That night, Shanks told the story of a great battle, adding facts he witnessed with his own eyes to testimonies from other crew members.

"And that was the end of what was later known as 'Edd War'." Shanks finished with another gulp of his beer.

"That was so cool! Pirates are awesome!" Luffy's eyes were shining so much he might as well have stars in their places. He was at an impressionable age. Ah, to be young...!

"Hmph."

Sabo was too busy writing everything down to offer input.

"Now, it's your turn to tell a story, _Professor Ann_."

I thanked the gods I had stopped eating and couldn't really choke. The expectant silence got a bit too thick, so I was forced to break it. "How did you find out about that?"

"Difficult not to, considering the signboard on the building across the bar…"

"Ahaha. That was so not my doing."

For simpler classes like literacy and basic Math, I had enlisted Sabo's help. To organize the schedules, someone stuck a signboard with information about classes, teachers and the rules of the library—that amounted to: write down your name, book and date so we know who's got what, and could easily retrieve them if needed.

* * *

I closed my eyes. This was more nerve-wracking than the inauguration class (a class of four, so that may have something to do with it).

' _Imagine they are all naked.'_

An image of Shanks, shirtless and—

'Not helping!' I shook my head and tried to focus. _'Breathe. In. Out. In…'_

"Okay, I can do this." I grabbed the script and walked to the village square. By then, there wasn't a single unoccupied seat. The crowd ceased all conversation on my arrival. So many people—

' _Breathe!'_

"Why do we exist?" I pointed my hands skywards. "Why does it rain? Why is there day and night?

"These question remained unanswered for a long time. And things you can't understand… they are intimidating. That's why people created stories to justify the existence of those phenomena.

"Each culture has its own versions of how the world came to be. But one, in special, was always held dearly in my heart…"

* * *

"Was it a good idea?"

"What was what?" I replied distractedly. Makino made embroidering sound so easy…

"Telling _that_ story."

"Ouch! Evil needles." I set the tools aside and turned to face him. "I was wondering if you'd recognize it."

"Although there were many differences to the version I'm familiar with." He plopped down next to me. "Starting with certain names."

"This is an older version of the tale. I don't know why only a few of the old names remain, though, and probably will never know. All memories fade with time."

He smirked. "You talk like an old woman."

"Oh? You must be mistaken. I'm nothing but an innocent little girl." I batted my eyes and gave him a sweet smile.

He patted my head. "See, that's what I'm talking about."

Before I could protest, Shanks grabbed my embroidering hoop from the table and inspected it. "Nope. You're really a kid after all."

"Hey, are you insinuating something?"

* * *

Exchanged glances when the other (apparently) wasn't looking.

Lingering touches.

Little smiles.

"Argh! I can't stand it anymore!" I shouted, pulling up my hair into an even worse mess.

"What's wrong, screechy witch?"

"Those two! Their constant flirting is going nowhere! It's maddening!"

"They're adults. Adults are stupid."

"Annie, I'm hungry."

A light bulb lit up in my head. "That's it! Operation match-making, commence!"

Sabo stared. "I'm almost afraid to ask…"

Ace took Luffy's hand and slowly retreated… but not fast enough! Before any of them could make a run for it, I dragged the trio to the kitchen.

"We're going to prepare a special candle-lit dinner near the cliff by the sea, and forge letters in both their handwritings so they'll think one invited the other!"

"That's oddly specific…" Ace muttered dubiously. "Wait, we?"

"That's convoluted! And ridiculous!" Sabo pointed out. "Why not just invite them or something?"

"That's… against the rules!" I argued.

"All's fair in love and war. Sounds familiar?" Before I could answer, Ace continued on, "Of course it does, since you are the one who's always saying that in the first place!"

"But, but dinner by the cliff under the moonlight…"

"We can do that. Just forget about the letter."

"Sabo, when did you become so reasonable…?"

"Someone has to be."

"Annie, can we make pie?"

After a few more arguments, the menu for the night was settled:

Watercress Strawberry Salad, Taglierini alla Besciamella and Cherry tartlets for dessert—all of them were things that seemingly screamed, 'Spring is here!'

These sophisticated dishes were only possible because we'd only have to prepare enough food for the (unsuspecting) couple and ourselves. That particular night was very convenient, as the pirates had plans of going hunting for meat and herbs. Shanks didn't know it yet, but he was staying in the village.

* * *

"Why can't we join them?"

"Shh! Be quiet, or they'll see us," I whispered from my spot behind some bushes and put a tartlet in Luffy's mouth to appease him. "As caterers, it's our duty to see to it that clients are satisfied!"

"I don't get it either. Do you, Sabo?"

"I'm just here for the blackmail material."

"What blackmail? That man is shameless!"

"This is boring…"

I stuffed Luffy's mouth with another tartlet. He munched happily, complaints momentarily forgotten.

At that moment, the target—I mean, Shanks pulled out the chair for Makino and they sat down by the candle-lit table. In another effortless show of chivalry, he poured her a glass of white wine (a special vintage from a small island in South Blue), and then, another for himself.

A soft breeze deposited a single apricot blossom on Makino's shoulder. Shanks gently placed the flower on her hair (and if his hands lingered a bit longer than needed…)

Makino opened the salad container and smiled. "Those children…"

They had just finished unwrapping the tartlets (ugh! And feeding each other and touching their arms as much as possible and… sigh…!) when I decided it was enough and shook the boys awake.

Shanks turned to our direction and I froze. But he simply winked and mouthed a few words. 'Do you have a fixation with hearts?'

So what if I had carved hearts in each strawberry slice?

"He has a point, you know?"

I kicked Ace's shin.

* * *

"Close your mouth and expel air through your nose. That's it!

"Your turn. I did it last time," Ace informed me resignedly.

I nodded. The moment Luffy's head submerged, I ran to the water, dove and quickly dragged him out.

"Hah—I'm… gasp… dying…"

"Don't speak right now, Luffy darling! Breathe!" I held his head in my lap.

"Cough… cough…"

"Sorry. I didn't think it was that bad…"

"Yasopp, just give up already. The kid's a complete anchor!" Lucky Roo commented in between bites of grilled meat—he and a few others had decided against swimming and were happily eating under the shade of palm trees.

"See? I told you." Ace remarked. "Even gramps gave up on him ever learning how to swim."

_And then, grandfather dearest went on and on about how some of the strongest marines couldn't swim either. Although in their cases, the problem was with devil fruits, not ineptitude._

"That bad?" Shanks asked incredulously.

"Yeah, that bad." I nodded solemnly. "Anyway, where's Sabo?"

"Sabo's resting right now—said he woke up with a headache from your screechy voice." Ace grinned.

"That idiot... I'll go check on him later."

* * *

Sabo's headache didn't get better after a few hours. No, that minor annoyance decided to invite its friends and party hard inside his head. Er, that is, he caught (or rather, was caught by) a cold.

For that reason, I went to buy medicine in Edge Town, while Ace and Luffy cooked a simple congee.

"What was I thinking? What was I thinking?" The wall had a sizable crater with a very distinct shape by now. "Stupid! Stupid!" That was probably not good for my neurons, but I didn't even care anymore.

"That weird fruit tasted really gross! And medicine is supposed to taste gross!"

Luffy logic.

I had no words. No words.

The wall crumbled pitifully.

Devil Fruit Chicken Congee! Why, gods…? Why?

"…Ace, hold him down. Now."

From what I'd been told, it was only the first bite that counted. But I wasn't risking it. If eating the whole damn thing made Luffy stronger, then so be it!

'I'm sorry, Lulu…' I mentally prepared myself for…

"Wait, what are you doing with that spoon? No! Don't wanna! NOOOOO!"

* * *

"What was all that commotion?"

"Benn!" I put the spoon down and kneeled. "I'm sorry for my brothers' stupidity!"

"…do I even want to know?"

"Devil fruit soup happened! That's what!" I screeched in barely contained hysteria.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Of all the idiocy in the world… Are you sure Luffy's not the captain's secret child?"

"He's Garp's grandson."

"Ah. Yes. There's that."

* * *

To make the day even worse, that afternoon, a group of uppity bandits came to the bar. Due to Sabo's condition (and the commotion caused by my darling Lulu), we had had no time to restock. What followed was something that made my admiration for Shanks skyrocket. As in, it surpassed the moon and reached the Sun.

"See? That's what I mean with 'don't look for fights!'"

"I still think he was a wuss," said Ace, for the sake of being antagonistic.

I kicked his shin.

From his corner of misery, Luffy gave me a dirt look. Sabo moaned in pain and put a pillow over his head.

* * *

"Haha, it's so good to see all my grandkids together! Today, I'll teach you precious skills that will certainly make all other recruits jealous when you become marines!"

Bear wrestling was a thing back on Earth. We could survive that.

…if not for the fact the average adult bear in Dawn Island weighed over a ton.

That week, not only had we to fight for our lives (quite literally, unfortunately), but also make sure Grandfather didn't suspect anything.

"Funny. I don't remember you being this flexible."

"We all have been training! See?" I had to suppress a tear as my muscles screamed, _'this is not how we're meant to work!'_

"Have you been doing your stretches? Good!"

"I could swear Luffy's arm just…"

"Really? It looks normal enough to me." ( _Sabo, couldn't you find something better to say…?_ )

"Ah, must have been my imagination." ( _Grandfather, did you fall for that?!_ )

…considering the nature of his powers, it was a miracle we managed that. At all.

* * *

"Surprise!"

"YOU! What are you doing here, monster brats? Wait, there's more?"

"Aw, Dadan! We missed you too!" Sabo quipped.

"Seventeen, eighteen… huh, you've got more people here!"

They were suitably flabbergasted at seeing our interaction... ah, it had truly been too long since our last visit.

"Ever since you three went away, we had a vacant room." Magra explained. "It took a while, because Dadan didn't want to—"

"Enough, idiot!" She punched the poor man's head.

To celebrate, we skinned and roasted an entire bear (ah, revenge was so sweet!).

For the first time, Ace saw some use for Luffy's powers: the ability to eat ten times his size. In one bite.

"That was awesome. Gross, but awesome."

The newcomers were frozen in horror. As I had learned to ignore those reactions long ago, that didn't really register. Ace didn't really care, Luffy was basking in all the attention. As for Sabo...

He was too horrified to speak. Or move. He did snap out of it when a rubber hand extended to steal the meat from his hands.

* * *

We were putting the last touches on the decorations for Luffy's birthday party when a certain group of bandits barged into the bar.

"We're back."

Before either Ace could say anything, I elbowed him discreetly.

"Good morning, sir. What would you like to order? As an apology for last time, would you like to do the honors of being the first clients to try our newest wines? It's on the house." I gave him the Waitress Smile variant 2: Genuine Bliss at Seeing a Treasured Customer. Makino had taught me dozens of those smiles, for all occasions. That woman had skills to put a diplomat to shame.

"Bring us the best barrel you've got, then. I can't refuse such a sincere apology!"

"Right away." I dragged Ace to the kitchen.

"What's it, Ann?" Makino paused mid-stirring. "Customers?"

"Nothing we can't handle, Miss Makino."

In the storeroom, Ace roughly pulled his hand from my grip. "What was that about, Ann? Those guys were the ones who—"

"I know. But what can we do? We're outnumbered right now, and those people won't play fair."

"So? I could beat that boss easily enough!"

"And then what? They'd get desperate and take hostages! We're not the only people in the village! Acting without thinking of consequences... Shanks knew that—"

"Shanks this, Shanks that! What's so special about the guy, anyway?!"

I recoiled in shock. That was the first time Ace had shown so much contempt. But he made a valid point…

Shanks may not come to save the day. My existence had altered many things, I couldn't rely on chance.

Incorrectly interpreting my reaction, he deflated. "Ann, I…"

"No, you're right." I looked downwards. "We can't let them walk free. After all, letting those who hurt others go free also has consequences."

"We're fighting them?"

"No." Before he could protest, I continued. "Not like that. Here, take this barrel and go ahead. I have something to do."

For a moment, optimism had blinded me. But… they wouldn't hesitate like me. If they could even think of selling a young child… no. No, not even going there.

But… what could I do?

I didn't have the strength to fight head on.

"Hey, Makino? Where did you put the medicine box?"

_Serve this special drink with a smile._

* * *

Golden Midday Sun end_


	12. Straw-colored Daybreak

**000**

**-Straw-colored Daybreak-**

_And thus, coming and going_

_Are merely two sides of_

_A single trip_

**000**

Inside the box, there were bottles and bottles of painkiller. We usually kept them in stock for customers who stayed the night, especially Shanks' crew, and they "chugged down the stuff like candy", as Ace once said.

' _Adding the special 90% volume distilled drink to that wine in a ratio of one to one results in approximately 60% of alcohol content. For an adult male, the lethal dose would be… four mugs, give or take.'_

If I hid painkiller pills in the fillings of the crunchier snacks, would they notice? I decided to break those into smaller bits. Considering how much they ate, it would be much harder to discover it.

' _What kills faster: alcohol or drugs?'_

"Time to experiment."

* * *

"This is the good stuff!" Higuma exclaimed, downing another mug of the concoction.

I personally took care of the leader and the thugs who looked stronger, making sure to top up their mugs regularly. Ace went around distributing more of the painkiller-laced snacks.

A while later, Sabo returned from his errand. "Have you finished preparing the fruit juice?" He entered the bar, carrying a few bags from the fisherman.

One of the thugs looked at the door. "Isn't dat kid…?"

Higuma stood up and examined Sabo closely. "Yeesh. The brat dose blue bla-blu-bloods are lookin' fer!"

A chill ran down my spine.

"What we gonna do, boss?"

"Get him, boys!"

"Hehe, we cam'ere for booze an' hit da je... jac... jackpot!

Well, there went my plans.

"You won't touch him, scumbags!" Ace screamed and jumped on the nearest bandit.

' _Scumbags? Really?'_

I shook my head. Now was not the time! "To hell with it!"

A hand touched my back. I was barely able to stop the punch before it connected with Makino.

"Ann, what is happening here?"

"Makino, go hide somewhere! Those guys are—"

"I'm not going to stay out of the way like a fucking coward while you slaughter those pigs, damn it."

I wasn't sure what was more alarming: Makino swearing or the fact she was hurling the cleaver at those men as if she did it regularly… which, come to think of it, she kind of did. _Does that mean those bandits are meat waiting to be sliced?_

Sabo was nowhere to be found, even after I climbed the counter. Wasting no time, I picked up a knife from the kitchen and exited the bar. Ace could take care of himself better without distractions.

Somehow, the fight had spread to the outside, and Sabo was fighting off a group of bandits, alone. Although their skills were severely impaired by alcohol, Sabo, who had no weapons, was still losing.

I ran as fast as I could, dreading the worst. Only to momentarily stop when a loud bang echoed and one of the thugs fell to the ground, lifeless.

Higuma turned to the direction the bullet had come from. Panicking, he threw a smoke bomb.

"Damn smoke! I can't see—!"

When it finally dissipated, the bandit was far away, sword slicing a thin line on Sabo's neck.

But in that direction was…

"Stop! Don't—"

"Do ya really think I'll stop fer you, girly? If any of you try anything funny, I'll slit his neck!" He backed away.

Away…

And away…

And fell from the cliff, taking Sabo with him.

I could see the water slowly turning red—there was a reason diving in that area was forbidden: rocks, many of them sharp and hidden by waves.

' _My fault, my fault myfaultmy—"_

"He's still alive." Like a beacon, Shanks' voice brought hope to my panicking heart. "But not for much longer." And promptly stomped on it.

"Captain, you aren't thinking of…"

Shanks took his hat off and dove.

"Too late." Benn sighed resignedly and took a piece of cloth to clean the blood from his rifle.

"…he really jumped." Then, it occurred to me… nope, forgot. "I think I'm forgetting something very important."

"If it's really important, you'll remember. Also, we must think of a way to pull them up. If anyone's injured, it wouldn't be prudent for them to swim towards the shore."

"Where are the others anyway?"

"They stayed at the bar to fight off the bandits who were still standing by the time we arrived. I'll go call a few to help."

"Right. I'll wait here."

It had something to do with fish, I was sure. Right then, a slight wind blew on my face, bringing with it the scent of fresh blood… oh. Crap. Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap— "The Sea King!"

And, as if summoned by my expletives, it appeared.

…Only to turn back and flee. After taking care of the nuisance, Shanks slung Sabo's prone form on his shoulders and began climbing the cliff. A twenty meters tall vertical slope, with no tools.

At first, I thought he was simply having trouble with finding places to grip, but as he approached the top, I realized he was injured. Badly.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm the one who should be asking that!" I took Sabo from his arms and laid him down. Apart from being drenched, his breathing was stable and he appeared unharmed from the fall. I then went back to examine Shanks' wound. "You're bleeding so much!"

"It compliments my hair, doesn't it?"

"No! It clashes horribly. Don't you know? Redheads can't wear red. The only red you are allowed to wear from now on is the blood of your enemies, you hear me?" I tore my skirt with the knife and pressed it to his left shoulder, trying not to look at it.

"Hear, hear. Mind if I sleep now? I think I drank a bit too much…

"NO! No sleeping! Bad Shanks! Bad!"

He blearily opened his eyes. "What? I'm a dog now?"

"You will be less than a dog if you sleep now. So stay awake! Please…"

"If you insist… but it's really hard."

"You can't di— _sleep_ yet! You haven't told me the lyrics from that song!" I breathed deeply and screamed as loudly as possible. "BINKUSU NO SAKE WO TODOKE NI…"

Between sobs and erratic heartbeats, what came out was an off-key mess.

"Whoa, the little missy has an amazing pair of lungs."

Whatever embarrassment I'd usually feel was eclipsed by a strong sense of relief.

It was safe now.

* * *

Open clavicular fracture.

Comminuted scapular fracture.

_Severe blood loss._

Every single ligament, tendon and muscle around his left shoulder had suffered some kind of injury.

It was a miracle his lungs weren't punctured, considering the number of pieces his shoulder and some ribs had been reduced to. Scratch that! How the hell had Shanks managed to climb in that state?

"I reinforced my body with Haki before diving. I wouldn't really jump without doing that first."

"Did I say that out loud?"

"No, but your question was practically written on your face." Shanks then tried to reach the cup of water on the nightstand, but before he could touch it, Makino slapped his hand.

"The doctor told me you shouldn't move. He also said I could tie you down if needed."

"I'd like that very much, although in a different—"

**Slap!**

_'Ah… as the saying goes, one should not meddle in a lover's spat.'_

And so, I tactically retreated to the adjacent room.

"Hey, Sabo? You alright?"

"Yes." He put his book down. "Finding out they are still looking for me here is infinitely better than if we were closer to the city, especially because the bandits are in no condition to blab. On the other hand, I lost my hat. And the goggles you gave me all those years ago."

"We can buy another!" Seeing his downcast expression, I held his hands, "As long as we're alive, we can always get another."

"Yeah, that's true. But the hat was the last gift my aunt ever gave me." He looked away, shoulders hunched. "She was the only one who… who cared."

"Sabo…"

"I never really told you why I ran away, did I?"

"You said something about the princess, but it's not only that, is it?" I sat down beside him.

"Whoever married the princess would eventually become king," he recited. "My family intended to rise in status through me: they arranged all sorts of lessons. Sabo looked at the window and sighed. "I was never good enough."

I hugged him.

"But I had my aunt. She was different from the other nobles. Aunt Luka was the only one who ever cared about Sabo the person, not Sabo the heir." His hands fisted around the sheets. "Then, she was betrothed to a noble from far away, and I was so angry… after I screamed at her, we never saw each other again."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's not like you knew, screechy witch."

"Shut it, top hat mania—" I covered my mouth.

"That's more like it!" He smirked.

"Y-you did it on purpose!"

And just like that, all the tenseness had been dispelled. He was always the one who lightened the mood.

* * *

"Hey Ann, how's Shanks?"

"Why don't you go see him yourself?"

"I-what am I supposed to say? Thanks for saving my brother?"

I sat down by his side and leaned on the table. "Yeah, that sounds like a good plan."

Ace frowned. "But that was Sabo's life! Shanks was hurt to save a kid he's known for less than a year! How do I even thank him for that?" He looked at me, then. That expression of confusion and relief, mixed with something else…

"Ace… come with me."

We exited the bar and walked to the cliff in silence. I sat down, legs dangling by the edge, Ace right beside me. The sun was slowly descending, rays of light painting the sky a vivid orange.

"Mother didn't have to see us even once to give her life for us. Willingly."

"But that's… that's what mothers are supposed to do. Maternal instinct, isn't it?"

"Ah, but fear for one's life… it overrides any other instinct other than self-preservation. No, what moved her, what moves people to help others to the detriment of their own lives… is love." _'That, or a complete lack of self-esteem, at any rate.'_ I turned to face him. "If it were you, you would have jumped too, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah. And I probably would have died without doing anything."

So that was what truly bothered him.

"That's why we have to get stronger—strong enough to protect everyone."

Ace extended his hands towards the fleeing sun. "Next time… no, there won't be a next time! I won't let there be a next time, it's a promise!"

A few minutes went by, silence broken only by the sound of seagulls and crashing waves.

"Hey, Ace."

"What's it?"

"I'm going to become a doctor."

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"I plan to ask for permission to take an apprenticeship. So, next time grandfather comes…"

"You're going away?"

"I'm sorry."

Ace punched my shoulder lightly. "Don't be. You're doing it for us, aren't you?"

I smiled and leaned my back on the ground. "Always."

Sometime after the Moon came out, I blacked out, exhaustion finally catching up.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Lulu darling!" I hugged him tightly. Amid all the chaos, everyone had completely forgotten about him!

"Can't… can't… can't breathe…!"

I put him down. Luffy wheezed. "You… you… why didn't you let me fight those bandits too? I'm strong!"

"I'm sorry, but there was simply no time to go get you at the mayor's house! If you were here, I'm sure you'd have been a great help…" A little misdirection from my part… but I wasn't about to let Luffy make his first kill so early, so I'd never involve him if there was another option.

"Ah, in that case, you're forgiven."

**Growl!**

"I'm going to prepare something for us to eat."

"Ok. I'll go see how Sabo's doing now."

_Lulu's birthday party…! Ruined! Damn those bandits!_

As I was turning, I thought I saw something flash in his eyes. But when I glanced over my shoulder, he was smiling confusedly.

* * *

"You never taught me anything about haki."

"Haha, I can't help you with that. You see, sometimes, when I use Conqueror's Haki, I can't target only enemies. So, I try to avoid using it when friendly fire can cause trouble… as for the other types, I'm a lousy instructor."

"You could have said that in the beginning!"

"But that would be no fun!"

Before our bantering could go on, Ace interrupted. "You're not coming back?"

"Nope. Not within the next few years, at least. Too risky." Shanks then turned to Luffy. "Are you crying?"

"No!" He wiped his face, smearing snot all over it. "Just you wait! Next time we see each other, I'll be stronger than you! I'll be the strongest pirate ever!"

"A shrimp like you?" Ace eyed Luffy dubiously.

"Yeah! I'll be Pirate King!"

Shanks smiled. "In that case… here, take this. But I want it back one day!" He patted Luffy's head. "When you become a famous pirate, return it to me, deal?"

"D-deal!"

Oh. I think I never missed a camera more than at that moment. Except for the Cake Incident, but that never happened anyway.

"History… this is history in the making."

"Did you say anything, Ann?" From my right, Sabo asked. It was still weird seeing him without a hat.

"Nope. Group hug!" I pulled Ace with me and tackled Luffy, who bumped on Shanks. Sabo shrugged and threw himself at our human pile.

With the golden sun of dawn illuminating their way, the ship slowly disappeared in the horizon. In the distance, the sound of laughter echoed.

* * *

Shanks' legacy would affect us in many ways; some of them, sooner than expected.

* * *

"Are you feeling well, Miss Makino?"

She sat down. "It's nothing. I must be coming down with the flu."

Her fatigue didn't pass.

"I… can't eat it."

"But don't you love garlic bread?"

She never refused garlic bread.

"My period is a few months late," she confessed when the boys went fishing.

Oh.

_'I'm pretty sure this wasn't supposed to happen.'_

* * *

Straw-colored Daybreak_end

**Bonus: What Yasopp found there**

He readied his pistol and sidestepped one more body. "A few kids and a petite barmaid did _this_?"

The only thing he could do after entering the bar was let out a whistle.

For the sweet lady love of the captain was cleaning a cleaver knife on the clothes of a mutilated bandit.

"Ah, hello! I'm sorry for the mess. But if you want to drink anything, just ask." She looked at the snack trays scattered on the tables. "Although you may want to avoid that. I think Ann poisoned it." She tsked. "What a waste."

One of the thugs started convulsing.

"Yep, definitely poisoned."

"Hey, Makino! That guy's got crap all over himself!"

"That's disgusting!" She turned to his direction. "Would you mind helping me dispose of the garbage? Letting it rot is not very sanitary… fortunately, we have free body disposal service here."

Were all women this scary? He didn't remember his darling Banchina being like that!

Then again, Makino had seemed like a perfectly normal person before.

Later, they made a Sea King ( _and what the hell was it doing in East Blue anyway?_ ) very happy. And fat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One teaspoon: 5ml.  
> Median Lethal Dose of Acetylsalicylic acid: 0,2g/kg.  
> Median Lethal dose of Ethanol: approximately 10ml/kg.  
> Comminuted fracture: bone shatters.  
> Open fracture: bone says hello. *shudders*


	13. Rainbow-colored Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's official. This is a dork!fic now. Because killing Sabo off for real at the cliff scene? Oops, didn't happen. orz
> 
> Coments/reviews do influence the story. While I won't take requests for plot developments (unless it makes sense in-fic), comments can inspire all sorts of things. Garp's dream was inspired by a review by SNicole25-san at FFN.
> 
> Also, using Arial size 12, A4, this fic is 80 pages long. Without ANs, and no page breaks between chapters. Holy carp.

**Part IV: End of the Beginning**

**-Rainbow-colored Morning-**

* * *

Makino's pregnancy taught me many valuable lessons, the more relevant being:

It sucks. Not worth it. Let humanity disappear.

Jokes aside, it was very difficult for all involved ( _and 'uninvolved' too, once I got a hold of a certain red-haired pirate)._

"Aaaaaaaaah! Who forgot to clean after eating?!"

"…I'm sorry! I'm sorry for screaming… sniff. It's just… why… why didn't they use plates…?"

...fortunately, our mother-to-be already had a balanced diet, and had no problems with lactose (that would have been particularly cruel, considering the main sources of calcium were dairy products). The additional portions of cheese and vegetables also supplied the required extra calories, so that aspect was easy enough.

"If I eat any more liver, I think I'll hurl."

"Ann, I feel like eating tuna… cheesecake. Oh, with extra raspberry jam and grilled bell peppers!"

"What do you mean, no alcohol? And only a cup of tea?!"

…mostly.

The so-called morning sickness was a hoax, dangit! It wasn't so much a morning affliction as an 'all-hours' problem; although an empty stomach did make for worse pangs—or so Makino said.

" _Whoever said pregnant women only need an additional three hundred calories was mad," father confided. "Your mother would bake one cake every day. Then, she'd set aside a small piece… and promptly devour the rest." His left eye twitched. "Not counting all that cheese, vegetables, fruits, cereals… and when the fortieth week came about, she weighed fifty kilograms. Fifty!"_

" _The one time I sat on a preferential seat, the old lady sitting by my side gave me the evil eye." Mother frowned exaggeratedly._

" _At any rate, I have no idea where all that food went, but it certainly didn't stick. Especially because right after giving birth, she returned to her usual forty three kilograms self... there wasn't a single stretch mark to tell the tale. In fact, were it not for the scar from the cesarean section, no one would be able to tell."_

" _Why they had to cut you out of my insides? Well… the contractions started, the water broke… and then, everything stopped. We just… fell asleep. The doctor administered medication, but it had the opposite effect." Mother pumped her fist. "I guess no one can get between us and sleep!"_

" _That's not a good thing!"_

Er, thinking about it, Makino's pregnancy was probably the most normal I'd seen so far.

Fortunately.

* * *

"I have wonderful news!" Makino exclaimed from her seat.

"You're pregnant." Ace then propped both elbows on the small round table, bored.

"You were very conspicuous about it." Sabo crossed his arms in amusement.

"I'm not the youngest anymore!" Luffy grinned and stood up. "That's awesome!"

"You… don't mind?"

"I teach. Brats. I can handle another kid." Sabo shuddered. "Probably."

"It's gonna be so magical! Oh, I can't wait to dress the baby in tons of cute onesies! And toys! And we get to decorate a baby room! That means… shopping!" Before Ace could flinch at the 's' word, I deflated. "But not for a few months. For now, everyone has to help Makino out. She can't do strenuous activities and must eat regularly. Also, we should take her to the city for the more specialized exams sometime soon."

"I can carry you." Ace mumbled. "To Edge Town, I mean."

Makino laughed. "Thank you for the offer, but I do need some exercise."

* * *

"You're sulking." I sat beside Ace.

"Not sulking." From his perch by the cliff, he stared at the vast sea. "Just thinking."

"A beli for your thoughts?"

"That's too cheap. My thoughts are much more valuable than that." Ace's lips quirked teasingly.

"Then, how about telling me for free?"

Ace's eyes trailed after a lone cloud. "It's… the baby is coming. What am I supposed to do?"

"You're supposed to be your usual awesome big brother self."

"Awesome?" He scoffed. "I'm not awesome. Thinking about how much the baby's going to be pampered; how things could have been for us, had our father been anyone else…"

"Ah. So you're jealous."

Ace flinched. "Maybe."

"That's ok. But the only reason you can be jealous is because we all care about the baby, right? Our small family is everything they will know. This affection shared between all of us." I extended my arms. "Giving them what we didn't have—we deposit our hopes for the future in those actions. Happiness can be found in making our loved ones happy too."

Ace remained quiet. After a few moments, he leaned his back on the ground. "That baby is going to be a spoiled brat."

"Sure. With Luffy, it was only the three of us, but now, the baby's going to have four older siblings!"

"A big, happy family." Ace closed his eyes contemplatively. "That's a nice thought."

"Yeah." I leaned closer and took his hand. "Hey, Ace?"

"What is it?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

' _For everything.'_ "For being here. With me."

"I'm glad you're here too."

* * *

"Ah! Don't!" I leapt from a few meters away and slapped the painkiller bottle from Makino's hand.

"Whoa, the screechy witch's losing it!"

"I'm sorry for overreacting… Miss Makino, I'll give you a massage if it's hurting too much, but this could seriously harm the baby."

She froze. "Oh. I didn't know that."

"Well, I did use it on the bandits, remember? Babies are much more delicate than those barbarians."

"True."

Crisis averted. This pregnancy thing would give me gray hair!

…although they wouldn't really show, considering I dyed it black anyway.

* * *

"!"

"Makino?"

"Luffy, I think the baby kicked. I've been feeling movements for weeks, but this is different."

"Wow, really? That's so cool!" Luffy turned to face Makino's belly, which was already showing. "Hey, baby! I want to meet you soon, so eat lots of food and get out of there soon!"

"I think they heard you."

"It's possible." I leaned closer to her. "May I…?"

"Sure." Makino nodded her head.

I poked her belly.

Makino chuckled. "I think the baby's ticklish."

"Baby, can you hear me? My name is Ann! Ann, ok?"

"Do you really want your name to be their first word that badly?"

"It's worth a try, isn't it?" I grinned.

"I'm going to get everybody!" Luffy ran outside to fetch his brothers.

From her seat at the counter, she smiled and patted her belly. "You don't have to rush. I can wait until you're ready."

* * *

"I can't feel anything. Are you sure it's not gases?"

I slapped Ace's head. "The baby is inside Makino, of course she'll feel the movements easier. It may be a while before we get to feel the baby kicking."

"Why did you have to slap me anyway? It was a legitimate question! It said so in those books!"

"Ace. You can't just say that to a girl's face!"

"Eh, why not?"

A hand touched my shoulder. "Don't mind that, Ann. Boys will be boys. And you yourself aren't really that 'lady-like' in the first place," she added amusedly.

"That's different! I behave in front of people. Besides, Sabo doesn't say those things." I turned to him—

He picked his nose. "Did you say something, screechy witch?"

"…forget it."

* * *

"Ready? Three, two, one…"

I started the piano intro, Sabo soon following with the violin.

"Yohohoho, yohohoho!" Everybody sang together. "Going to deliver…"

" _Your dad would put earphones on my belly all the time. So, you listened to many composers, from Chopin to Tom Jobim before even taking your first breath. He was such an adorable dork back then."_

There wasn't a way to record music yet (dials didn't count), so live music it was. I'm not sure the baby would benefit directly from it, but the simple fact Makino was more relaxed was reason enough.

* * *

"I can hear it! I can hear it!" I exclaimed gleefully.

"What? The baby talked or something?"

"No, silly! The heartbeat! The sound is faint, but steady."

"Can I?" Before Makino could respond, Luffy had already leaned his head on her belly.

"This is so cool!" I could almost see stars in Luffy's eyes.

Seeing Ace's hesitant looks, Makino smiled. "Do you want to listen?"

"...can I?"

"Of course."

His eyes widened in fascination. "This is..."

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He closed his eyes.

Ace slept on Makino's lap as she patted his head.

"Ann, really?"

I paused mid-stroke. "Wanna help?"

"Sure." Sabo grabbed another brush and began drawing squiggles on an unsuspecting Ace.

"What about me?" Came Luffy's indignant cries.

"Shh!"

"Here, you can have mine. I'm done."

I'd never draw a mustache on him for obvious reasons, but anything else was fair game. "Calligraphy Brush Set: 30.000. Ink stick: 4.000. Brother's face when he wakes up: priceless."

...that didn't have the same effect without the ads. Damn.

* * *

Before taking Makino there, I paid a quick visit to the clinic in Edge Town.

It was… underwhelming, to say the least.

By that, I mean they didn't have anything that could be remotely considered modern. No machines whatsoever, much less an ultrasound scanner. When I overheard the doctor prescribing bloodletting sessions, I hightailed out of that place.

High Town was probably better equipped, but smuggling a heavily pregnant woman there wasn't a good idea. Forging documents, as well as passing her off as a noble? Not happening either.

Sighing, I bought some candy for the boys and went back. _'Is that why people pray for good pregnancies? Because there's nothing else they can do?'_

* * *

"I didn't mind it when that Red Haired kid came here. But… that good-for-nothing got you pregnant and ran away! That's it! I'm going to hunt him down!"

"Mister Garp, no! He didn't know anything!"

Grandfather sat down"Ah, then it's ok." He overturned a table. "Like hell it's ok! I still have to bash his head for putting ideas in Luffy's head!"

Grandfather had known all this time. About Shanks' visits. About Luffy's devil fruit.

Well, almost everything, as it turned out, but that's beside the point.

* * *

"Shanks is a pirate. Why did you let him near us?"

He sighed. "Roger entrusted both of you to me, but I could never really do anything for Ace. He always had this sadness around him, this hatred… I thought if he had contact with his father's crew members and heard the truth, without propaganda, that it could only help him."

"Granddaddy…"

"As for you, as soon as I heard you speaking for the first time, I knew you had inherited his instinctive understanding of the Ancient Language. This brilliance of yours, you would have thrived in Ohara."

' _Brilliance? It's nothing of the sort.'_ "But Ohara is no more."

"That island was part of Roger's territory. When he died, they lost their only protection and fell."

"That was a massacre."

"Yes, it was. No matter how Sengoku painted it, I never agreed with how it was handled. The knowledge was dangerous, but exterminating even the ones who didn't know anything?" He paused. "Which reminds me. You taught them the Ancient Language, didn't you?"

I shook my head. "I didn't. Although both languages hold similarities, they can decipher the secrets of ancient weapons as much as a devil fruit user can swim."

"I see. That's good. I know you'd never do anything bad with that knowledge, but there's a reason it went extinct in the first place." He looked in my eyes. "Please be careful."

"I will." Before he could go back to the bar, I inhaled and tugged at his sleeve. "Is there any way I can get an apprenticeship in Drum?"

"I was wondering when you'd ask that. You've always wanted to be a doctor, right?"

I nodded mutely.

"I'll make arrangements. Take the next four months to tie any loose ends and prepare. "Next time I visit, you'll go with me."

"Th-thank you, grandfather." I bowed.

A large hand patted my head. "You are one of my cute grandchildren after all. Now, let's go back before your brothers start to worry. They seem to think I'm out to kill you all or some such nonsense."

I nodded and followed after him.

* * *

Since no one won the argument between blue and pink, we (meaning Makino) settled on pastel yellow for the walls, light orange for the door and thick off-white curtains.

The crib was a gift from Chiken, as her younger son had recently grown out of it. We repainted it lilac and hanged a mobile with little veggie-shaped baubles. Luffy then carved a few wooden figurines of grilled meat (with the mayor's help) and attached them to it.

Sabo was assigned the drawers, and opted for baby blue with white polka dots.

"That was fun!"

"Modesty aside—nah, who cares about modesty? This is the most awesome baby room ever." Sabo put the brush down and wiped his brows.

"The baby's going to be color-blind." Ace stated, doing his best to contain a grin.

"Thank you for your hard work, everybody!" I had forbidden Makino from going near the paint fumes, so she was waiting by the door. "I made some orange juice. Let's all take a break!"

* * *

One December morning, I woke up to Luffy's pouncing.

"Annie! Annie! Makino told me to get you! It's urgent!"

Sometime during the night, Makino's contractions had started. She had woken up and didn't think much of it. But contrary to her previous experiences, they had formed a pattern and the intervals between them were getting shorter and shorter.

"Ace, start the stove, and boil water—lots of it. Also, in a smaller pot, sterilize the fruit knife." I turned to Sabo. "Fetch the pile of towels and cloths, and prepare the bed." I then turned to Luffy. "Let's go see her now."

The next two hours passed in a blur of screams, curses (somewhere in the Grand Line, Shanks sneezed—constantly) and nervousness.

It was messy; not only the amniotic fluid—nature's protective bubble wrap for babies—had to go somewhere, but if the muscles in that area had relaxed enough for a baby to pass that meant…

It was stressing. I wanted to rip all the manuals that instructed the readers to "Keep calm". "Keep calm my backside," as Makino had so eloquently put (not in those exact words, but the sentiment remained). And it was so slow! Having to watch, powerless, was the most frustrating part.

* * *

The first part of the baby I saw was… red hair.

Pushing the side of my brain that kept repeating _this isn't how nature works dangit!_ , I replaced the soaked towels with fresh ones and waited. Meanwhile, Ace had adjusted the temperature of the water bottles and was piling them inside a nest of sheets. Sabo had gone to the neighbor to fetch more towels, since we had underestimated the need for that particular item, and Luffy was making another pot of tea.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

_A perfect little girl._

I cleaned the fluids from her body, mindful not to harm the umbilical cord yet (the placenta was still inside) and handed her to Makino. By that point, my vision had blurred completely.

The baby was well.

The baby was alive.

" _The baby… the baby is in Heaven, Ayumi-chan…"_

The baby was alive.

Alive.

"Welcome to this world, little Rouge."

* * *

Rainbow-colored Morning_end

Bonus: Garp's Dream

Sengoku rubbed his temple. "You're telling me the Pirate King's secret twins, the Revolutionary Leader's only son, a runaway noble and a cleaver-happy barmaid were raising the daughter of Red Hair Shanks all this time? I'm too old for this sh*t. Screw you all, I'm retiring!" The ex-Fleet Admiral grabbed a suitcase and jumped from the window. "Garp, you're the new Fleet Admiral!"

Fleet admiral... admiral... admiral...

That last word kept echoing, louder and louder and louder...

" **NOOOOOO!"**

Garp jumped awake, snot bubble popping out. "Whew, it was only a nightmare. The ship should arrive in Windmill soon, and there won't be any red haired kid!"

When he saw Makino's belly, he had to resist the urge to scream and run away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's why Garp didn't train them during that particular visit. He was too out of it. *shot*


	14. Night falls, gray besieges the rotten city pt. 1

**-** **Night falls, gray besieges the rotten city (pt. 1)** **-**

* * *

The good thing about being narcoleptic, I found out, was the fact little Rouge couldn't disrupt my sleep patterns. Since they were completely messed up already.

But that didn't mean I appreciated being woken up from my nightly naps (during the day, I retreated to a faraway corner to get some sleep at predetermined hours, and the boys knew better than to wake me) by her wails.

A baby's cries are tailored to instill a sense of urgency in anyone close enough to hear it—and I'm pretty sure Dadan could hear all the way from her base.

It was impossible to tell what she wanted, besides the most obvious things. Hunger ranked first in little Rouge's priorities, while hugs and cleanliness tied for second. But besides the obvious, it was anyone's guess, really.

"Rourou sleeps more than Annie!" Luffy pouted and crossed his arms.

"Hey! I don't sleep that much! I just sleep in small installments…"

"Small installments, high interest rate." Sabo quipped.

"Shush." I waved my hand dismissively.

"Were we ever that noisy?" Ace asked, rubbing his temple.

"Nope. Pretty sure we were muuuch worse. Baby Rouge is an angel in comparison."

"I guess I have to thank that old hag then." At my inquisitive glance, he elaborated, "For not smothering us."

"Haha, because that would have gone so well with grandfather."

"Oh, there's that. She was probably too afraid to do it. Still, remind me to take some booze next time we see her."

"Sure."

* * *

One morning, Ace, Sabo and I went to visit Dadan. Baby Rouge, being one month old, was too small for such a long trek, and Luffy stayed to help Makino.

"Isn't this nostalgic? Just the three of us, walking to our old home?"

"Yeah, I can already smell it." Ace mock-gagged.

"Acey! Don't be a stick in the mud!"

"Ann, look at where you're walki—"

"Kyaaah!"

"…too late."

Ace was too busy trying to balance the barrels that had been suddenly thrown at him to respond. Or laugh.

I wrung the hem of my skirt, futilely trying to blow a wet strand of hair from my eyes. Damn bridges that couldn't remain in their proper places!

"Look at the bright side," Sabo said in-between laughs, "this time, you remembered to throw the goods before they were soaked too."

"Do you want me to punch you that much?"

"You can try."

"I hate to interrupt a fight, but we don't have much time."

"Boo!" I stuck my tongue out. "Stick in the mud!"

"I'm not the one with mud on their face, though." Ace smirked.

"Wha-?"

* * *

"Look, isn't that Magra?"

"Hey, Magra!"

The man put down the axe, wiped his forehead and turned to us. "What brings you here?"

"We come bearing gifts!" Sabo announced with a flourish. While holding barrels. Show-off.

"Oh, in that case, come in. I'll make some tea for you."

"We got your favorites!" I grinned, hauling a large stack of barrels inside the wooden house.

"You brats! After so many months, I thought we'd have peace!"

I hugged the big softie. "Hey, Dadan, I'm leaving the island soon."

"Already?"

"Yeah, I wanted to see you before then, because I have no idea when I'm coming back."

"Brat, one year or ten, you'll always return to torment me." She patted my head gruffly.

"That, I will." After she released me, I opened one of the barrels. "Hey, we brought lots of food and booze! Let's party! I've even remembered to bring fruits, jams and garnishes for the drinks!"

"Idiot! You're too young to drink!" Dadan slapped my head.

"I live in a bar now. Drinking and mixing are different things. You should try Ace's One Hit KOcktail! No two doses are the same, guaranteed."

"What a lousy name."

"Dogra!" I tackled him.

"I missed you too, kid."

I watched as Sabo threw bottles and mugs to Ace, who mixed the drinks midair.

"Not going to join them, young missy?"

"Little John! I didn't see you!"

"I just came back now."

Despite all her bravado, Dadan was surprisingly generous—for an immoral bandit's standards, at least. She offered a place for those who had nothing until they could go on their own way. While under her care, the person would 'work' as a bandit to pull their weight, of course, but no one was forced to stay.

Few people remained for more than a few months, and even less so for more than a year, so the faces changed constantly. Out of the entire Family, the only ones who had been present ever since we were babies were Dadan (for obvious reasons), Dogra, Magra and Little John, although the latter was often traveling around.

"Ah, I brought some dried strawberry; it's one of your favorites, right?"

"You remembered!" The portly man smiled delightedly, showing his yellow teeth.

"I love them too, so of course I'd remember." I passed a bag of the confectioneries to him.

"You do know your grandfather expects you to serve as a marine after you graduate, right?"

I paused. "Yeah. I'll cross that bridge when the time comes."

"As long as you don't lose sight of what you truly want to do."

I looked at the boys. "Don't worry; there's only one thing I want."

' _I want the smiles to outnumber the tears and frowns on your face.'_

* * *

The party went on, and we ended up staying for the night.

"Any interesting news, Dogra?" I asked, sipping a mug of fresh tea.

The man flipped the newspaper. "Apparently, a few World Nobles are coming to visit Goa Kingdom."

"Cough-cough!" I put down the tea and took a deep breath. "Wh-when is that?"

"In three days."

"No!"

"Are they that horrible?" Ace poured a cup of milk and sat next to me.

"It's not that… it… it's-"

I don't want to tell them.

"Ann, what's the problem?"

But if I don't, they could find out I knew about it later, and that—

I tried to slow down my heartbeat. After a few moments, I finally said, "The Gray Terminal will disappear in a sea of fire."

"What?"

"Goa is the most pristine Kingdom in all East Blue. To keep that image, the nobles would go as far as burning all the trash."

"But the people—"

"The people won't be alive to care," Sabo muttered.

"…"

"Nobles believe the Gray Terminal dwellers are trash themselves, so burning them is only considered garbage disposal. It's their fate for not being nobles."

"How could they decide a person's fate based on their birth?!"

I bit my lip, nails digging on my fisted hands. _'This is personal for you now, isn't it?'_

"We have to do something!" Sabo shouted. "Back then, I had nothing; the people in Edge Town averted their gaze, but no one ever offered even a place to stay the night. As the days passed I grew desperate, and eventually stole from a shopkeeper. He chased me, and I ended up in the gray Terminal.

"An old man found me lying unconscious, and then, not only did he save my life, he taught me how to survive in that place where no human should live. Can you believe it?" Sabo smiled sardonically. "A supposed sub-human showed more compassion than my own 'noble' parents."

"Sabo…"

"He died of the flu two months later, and I never got to repay him. But if I can help someone else, and this someone helps another, then certainly…"

I felt ashamed.

How could I run away?

Because I'm selfish.

' _I want the smiles to outnumber the tears and frowns on your face.'_

"Our chances of success lie in thwarting the preparations for the fire. Once the purging starts, nothing can stop the flames," I said resignedly.

"Any plans?"

"Sabo," Ace called, "we'll be close to the city, and if they did put a reward for you…"

"Any suggestions?"

"We'll dye your hair and eyebrows black. Wear a wig over that. If anyone recognizes your face, your 'true' hair color should throw them off. Also, it would be better if you wore a simple tank top instead of your usual coattails. We want you to blend in."

"Won't that take too much time?"

"One hour won't make much of a difference. They wouldn't start preparations so early in the morning." _'Probably.'_ "I'll ask Magra to help you with the hair dye and that guy should have a spare to lend us." I pointed to a man lying in the corner, brown wig falling over his face. "For now, eat a reinforced meal. There won't be time to eat later."

* * *

We watched as a group of men carried barrels of a foul-smelling substance _'Kerosene? Damn.'_ When they separated to get another load, I signaled for the boys. They readied their swords…

With the advantage of a surprise attack and bladed weapons, disposing of them was surprisingly easy. Despite their initial hesitancy, I had managed to convince the boys our only chance of winning was complete annihilation—precise movements to inflict the most damage, so that no one could get up and catch us off guard later. Compassion was a luxury that only the strongest could afford, after all.

"Let's bury the barrels for now." It may not be safe, but pouring it in the river wasn't a feasible option. And if the barrels were slowly retrieved to be used as fuel, it wouldn't be a problem.

* * *

"That was easy." Ace commented after he finished covering the ditch with a thick layer of soil.

Then, it occurred to me. "Too easy."

"Well, they were weak."

"No, that's not what I meant. The Gray Terminal is huge. While secrecy is important, that'd be worth shit if they didn't get the job done on time!"

"Oh no." Sabo's eyes widened. "They are working with a tight schedule. The stakes are too high to depend on a few criminals."

"Shit."

"We have to warn the people!"

Before Sabo could sprint, I grabbed his hand. "If someone told you they were going to burn the entire Gray Terminal along with its people, would you have believed?"

"I believed you."

"That's different! We've known each other for years! But we are just kids, and not even from Gray Terminal! They'll think it's a prank or something."

"Still…"

"We try," Ace said. "If only one out of a hundred listens, that's still one person more than if we didn't do anything."

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. "Ok. Let's separate. The part we cleared out can be our meeting point. Send people to that side, and we'll plan our next steps there. Sabo, your old hideout was in the northern side, right?" He nodded. "Go there and see if you recognize anyone. If not, just spread the word."

"Understood."

"Ace, you go west. I'll warn the people in the south."

"Got it."

I hugged them both. "If the fire starts spreading, I want you to promise me you'll do your best to escape."

"You too, Ann. Don't you die on us."

* * *

It was too quiet. Usually, there were many people walking about at all hours, but not that day. After no one answered my knocks, I entered one of the 'houses'. What I saw on the makeshift table made my blood run cold.

The inhabitants' only source of food was scavenged from the trash. People didn't throw away the kind of food I was seeing there.

Fearing the worst, I swiped at the cloth that separated the main area and what I assumed was the sleeping area. On the floor, there were a few cots, and, lying on them, a group of children.

I kneeled and checked the pulse of the closest one. My shoulders slumped in relief. "Just sleeping."

' _How do you guarantee most of the population can't escape the fire?'_

You put them to sleep.

* * *

Had a few people dropped dead shortly after eating, no one else would have even approached the boxes of food. But it was (relatively) fresh food! People didn't stop to question what it was doing there, as nobles did tend to discard anything remotely turned.

Knowing that, someone had laced the contents with sleeping drugs. Their delayed action gave enough time for everyone to go back to their 'homes' and fall asleep obliviously…

I couldn't carry all the adults, but the child–malnourished as they were—were much lighter.

Cost-effectiveness: one adult weighs more than two children. Thus…

"Is this the value of human life? Can I measure it, play God and decide who gets to live?"

But two lives are better than one, right?

The makeshift cart I had built from the piles of trash was practically doubling over with weight.

I had only covered a small area.

_'Just how many people live in here? Anyway, I'd better take these kids to our meeting point and come back to finish later. If my cart breaks, all that effort will be meaningless.'_

And so, I made trip after trip, avoiding any suspicious men, depositing more and more people in a hidden nook so they wouldn't be found in such a vulnerable state.

The smoke first appeared during my eighth trip.

It hadn't rained in a while, so all the trash was dry, which probably explained how the fire grew so fast.

I remorsefully glanced back, but quickened my pace. "I'm sorry!" I couldn't die there.

**—I don't wanna die help it hurts make it stop oh god just kill me—**

As the flames illuminated the night with the intensity of a thousand suns, and the temperature rose to dangerous levels, I was assaulted by uncountable voices mashed together in a dissonant choir of agony, a twisted soundtrack to a real-life horror movie.

Were it only the voices, it wouldn't be as bad.

However...

I could feel my skin dissolving in flames, the acrid scent of burning flesh, the heat, the fear, the heat, the heat the heat… oh gods—

There are no gods in this cursed land.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Through the haze of emotions, a familiar face. "Sabo… help."

He was running towards me.

"Ann! Watch out!"

Then, everything exploded in burning, excruciating agony.

* * *

Night falls, gray besieges the rotten city (pt. 1)_end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm evil.  
> The fire scene was probably one of the first things I decided on doing, waaaay before I even sat down to write. It was a bit more in-line with canon back there, but the stabby thingies happened.
> 
> The first draft was very different. In it, after they separated, Ann was stabbed by one of the Bluejam pirates.
> 
> This is the translation for this arc's theme song:  
> Estação means either station or season. I'm not sure the word play was intentional, but I ran with it, anyway.
> 
> Encontros e Despedidas (Meetings and Farewells), by Milton Nascimento.
> 
> Send news from that corner of the world  
> Tell me, who stayed?  
> Give me a hug, hold me tightly-  
> Incoming.  
> One thing I like is departing  
> With nary a plan.  
> Even better,  
> Returning whenever.
> 
> Hustle and bustle, every single day  
> Life repeats itself across stations  
> Some people arrive to stay,  
> Albeit others go to nevermore;  
> Some passengers turn up, but want back,  
> Albeit others go and wish to stay;  
> Some are only here to watch;  
> Some people laugh, as others cry.  
> And thus, coming and going
> 
> Are just directions of  
> This single trip  
> The incoming train  
> Is the one you saw off.  
> Meetings are  
> Also farewells.  
> The platform in this train station  
> Is life in this place of mine,  
> It is life in this place of mine,
> 
> It is life.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy December 25/26~
> 
> Due to misleading titles and fluff, chapter 14 may have come as a bigger shock than intended? Oops.
> 
> I decided to break my own rules and add other people's PoV. Adding that to the sidefic (What Ripples are to Waves) just wouldn't make sense.
> 
> Yuri on Ice killed me. I mean, I've been binge-writing YoI fics like mad. And binge-reading, come to think of it.

**\- Night falls, gray besieges the rotten city (pt. 2) -**

**000**

**-o-**  
**Sabo's Resolution**  
**-o-**

Something was very wrong.

Things were never quiet in the Gray Terminal.

On rainy days, few walked around, but this wasn't the case. In fact, it hadn't rained for a few days, and the sun was shining brightly. Scenario after scenario running in his mind, Sabo decided to enter the closest shelter and investigate.

Inside, he found a few inhabitants sleeping. It would be a perfectly normal sight, if not for the surprisingly high quality of the food on the tables.

One interesting fact about Gray Terminal dwellers: no one ever took more than they could eat, since there wasn't a way to preserve food and they had a steady supply from the city.

Meaning most, if not all, got to eat fresh(ly scavenged) food daily, even though the elderly and slower could only get the leftovers.

Therefore, the eerie silence wasn't a mystery anymore: they had all been drugged. This answer, however, only brought many other questions, the more pressing being, 'How am I supposed to get them out of here?'

After a few minutes, Sabo came across a carriage, of a model he hadn't seen in years. Like most items discarded by nobles, it was still serviceable.

Thus, he began the arduous task of loading and taking them to the meeting location.

When the fire started, he had almost finished evacuating his assigned area. Loading another family in the carriage, he didn't notice a certain person approaching…

"We came here, expecting to only mitigate a disaster... only to find children doing what adults wouldn't do. There's still hope."

Sabo paused. "Pardon?"

"Go to a safer place and let me take the carriage. You've done more than enough." The man took the carriage and effortlessly pulled it.

"But I haven't!" Sabo shouted and motioned to the direction he'd come from. "There are still people there, I can't abandon them to this!"

"And you'd rather burn with them?"

"I won't burn, and they won't either. But that's what will happen if I do nothing! The ones who should protect them sit proudly atop a sea of corruption, laughing at the suffering of others."

"Such is the way of nobles. Power always reveals people's rotten cores."

"I was born a noble, but I'm not like them!" Sabo lowered his head, fingernails digging on his palm. "I'm nothing like them…"

"Goa, beloved Goa. To see a young boy disowning his own family... can this place fall even more?"

"This kingdom has long reached the bottom," Sabo commented wryly.

"Then, the only way is up."

"Yeah." After a moment of thought, Sabo said, "My siblings are helping in the other areas, but our meeting place is nearby. I'll go ahead and find out how things are going on their side."

"Don't worry, I'll protect them."

"From what I remember, there should be only a few more homes in that direction." Sabo pointed to an alley. "I think they should all fit in the carriage, so there's no need for another trip."

 **-o-**  
Ace on a Mission  
-o-

His stomach growled. Ace resisted the urge to growl along.

"All this food, wasted!"

It didn't take a genius to deduce what had happened, and it made Ace's blood boil. How dare they spoil such fine food!

He'd go punch those imbeciles if he hadn't more pressing matters. As it was, getting everyone out was more important than avenging the drugged delicacies.

So, Ace piled the people as high as he could (there was a limit on how many could be piled before the people started toppling over, he found out) and set out to the meeting point.

A few trips later, he paused to rest.

"Dragon-boy never told me he'd enlisted the help of such cuties!"

He stared.

"Oh, I'm quite a sight for sore eyes, am I not?"

"…"

"I'll take that as a yes, darling!"

With the (very strange) stranger's help (just how many people could he—she? It? They?—stow away in that hair?"), removing the remaining inhabitants went much quicker.

 **-o-**  
Father and Son  
-o-

He had arrived in Windmill earlier to surprise his grandchildren, keep them on their toes. However, they were visiting Dadan, and the only reason Luffy hadn't gone along was because he had opted to stay with Makino and the baby (she had red hair, of all things…).

So, he'd sparred a bit with his youngest and proceeded to trek to the mountains.

"Eh? The brats aren't back yet?"

The children had already departed by the time he'd arrived, but he hadn't seen them on the way.

"I heard them muttering about going to Gray Terminal. I just figured they went to get supplies or something," said one of the men.

Garp froze.

"So that's why Mick's swords are missing. The kids really went there… shit."

Before anyone could say anything else, he was running towards the city.

Behind him, in a much more human pace, a group of bandits had mobilized. They couldn't care less about people burning to death, but their kids were an entirely different matter.

**000**

"What are you doing here?"

"The right thing, father."

"At any other time, I'd fight you. But I don't have the time for that now." He faltered. "Have you seen a group of children?"

"There are many children. Which ones, do you mean?"

It was a testament of Garp's worry that he did not blow up at his son's evasiveness. "Three kids, about ten years old, two boys and a girl. They probably came here to stop the fire, of all things."

"There was a boy, although I didn't recognize him. He said he was going to meet his siblings in the Eastern area. In fact, I'm heading there right now, if you care to accompany this criminal, Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp." Dragon closed the carriage's door with a and started pushing.

Garp sighed. "You were always such a good boy. When did things become like this?"

"When I opened my eyes and realized being a marine wasn't an option. I wanted freedom to act as needed, being shackled by the government wouldn't allow me to do so." Dragon turned to face his father. "Isn't that one of the reasons you refused promotion after promotion?"

Garp could not deny that.

"Later on, I saw the corruption in this world. Ruby died for nothing. I refuse to let anyone else die or suffer in this rotten system. I want a world where children can live without fear, where no island disappears merely for researching the past."

"You'd abandon your own child for that? Luffy is suffering." _'I'm suffering too,'_ he wanted to say, but never did.

"Do you remember what happened right after Roger's execution? I refuse to let that happen again." Dragon's expression softened. "Luffy is happier here. He has his older cousins and their friend to protect and keep him company. Constantly moving from base to base, having no children to play with, seeing war, death, starving nations… he's too young for that."

"I'm looking for them."

"Luffy is here?" The revolutionary's eyes widened.

"No, but my other grandchildren are."

"Searching a place as big as the Gray Terminal by yourself is impossible. I promised the boy I'd take this carriage to the meeting point, then I'll help you look for them. We can always ask one of the boy' siblings if they've seen them."

Garp frowned. "What's so important about this carriage?"

Dragon replied by motioning at the window.

Garp went quiet.

It was a few minutes later when Garp saw an image that would haunt him for years to come.

 **-o-**  
Those who were left behind  
-o-

"Have you come to exploit the situation, bandits?"

Dadan stared for a moment. Why was a suspicious cloaked individual carrying a bible of all things?

"Er, actually, we are looking for a group of kids," said Little John.

"And what do you intend to do with them?"

"Tch, those brats came here to play hero, but they'll end up hurting themselves! It would be too troublesome if they died."

"In that case, I'll help you look for them."

"...thanks?"

 **-o-**  
Converging Destination  
-o-

As he neared the meeting point, Sabo could see Ann approaching. He waved to her, but she didn't wave back. Then, she suddenly fell to her knees, clutching her head. Worried, Sabo ran towards her.

The girl had finally noticed his approach when a pile of trash collapsed; bent metal railing fell down and down...

_—He ran. He shouted. He couldn't reach her in time.—_

…and fell. He could see the moment those damned spikes perforated her body. He watched in fascinated horror when they exited from the other side.

_—the ground, painted in a red, red color—_

**"ANN!"**

For a moment, Sabo thought he had been the one to shout that. But then, he was shoved aside.

"Damn it! I told you not to die!" Ace punched the ground. His hand came back red.

"The girl is alive."

"Who are you?" Sabo demanded.

The strange person garbed in fishnet walked towards the siblings. "Do you vish to save her, no matter the cost?"

Ace turned abruptly. "Do you even have to ask? I don't care about the price, just... just… save her." His forehead touched the ground as he kowtowed. "Please."

By Ace's side, Sabo kneeled.

"Get up, boys. I'll do vhat I can. She'll feel pain like no other, and scream and beg for help. Can you handle that?"

"She can only scream while she's alive," Sabo whispered.

"So be it."

With that, the stranger removed what had once been the gates of a mansion from the wound, and pierced Ann's side with the sharpest nails the boys had seen in a human's hands.

"Find a stretcher or something similar and carry her to a safer place. Clean the vounds and keep her hydrated with a saline solution."

"You! What did you do to my granddaughter?"

"I may have given her the tools to fight for her own life… probably! Either way, a chance of survival of three percent is alvays better than none. Just hope your granddaughter is strong enough."

"Ah, Iva. Give me a hand here. We should get these people out of here. They will wake up in a few hours, we must avoid mass panic."

"Of course, Dragon-boy." Iva glanced sideways at the marine.

"Don't worry. He won't be a problem."

"My priority is getting my grandchildren to a safe place. Next time we meet, I won't be as lenient, revolutionaries."

Sabo got up to let Garp approach Ann's prone body. Seeing their unexpected savior departing, he ran towards them. "Thank you for helping us."

"We were only doing what's right," Dragon said grimly. "I should also thank you for your invaluable help. Hm." He looked at Sabo scrutinizingly. After a few moments, he whispered, "Say, would you like to change the world?"

Sabo stared. If those people were the famed revolutionaries, that meant they fought the government. It would be the ultimate act of rebellion against the status quo, but he'd have to leave his family behind…

"Not now, you're too young. But in a few years, you're welcome to join."

"I will."

"Good. I look forward to working with you."

A few moments later, a group of disheveled bandits finally reached them.

"Holy shit! What happened here?"

"What took you so long? Help me carry my granddaughter." Garp then gently lowered Ann on a makeshift stretcher made from parts of the carriage. Magra, the one closest to Garp's height, took the other side and they carried the broken figure towards Dadan's base.

"Kuma, excellent timing," Dragon addressed his subordinate, "come, we have much to do."

 **-o-**  
From the gates of Hell  
-o-

Everything was pain.

Except when it wasn't. But the few moments I couldn't feel anything at all were more terrifying than anything else.

And they did not last.

If what I had felt before was agony, no words could ever describe what happened afterwards. Or well, I assume it was afterwards. Considering all thoughts fled my mind, time had no nexus, no coherency anymore.

When the torment finally ended, everything faded away.

* * *

I opened one eye. _'Ouch! Too bright!'_

Another. 'Still too bright!'

"What the hell happened?" Is what I mouthed, but what came out was a pathetic croak.

A cup was pushed against my lips and tilted slightly. I slowly sipped the water.

"Do you know what happened?"

"Buh?" What happened? I was sleeping and woke, right?

"Before that."

 **—** **I don't wanna die help it hurts make it stop oh god just kill me—**

Those voices... were they punishment from an angry god?

"We were in the Gray Terminal, evacuating the inhabitants."

Ace frowned. "Is that all you remember?"

I stared fixedly at a smudge on the floor. "Well, I was carrying a new batch of people. Then, everything became pain. I think I passed out. What happened there?"

"Due to the fire, many trash piles collapsed. You had the bad luck of being hit by a piece of metal railing." Ace continued, wrily, "I say bad luck, but really, it was the opposite. It missed your spine by a few millimeters, although it did pierce several organs..."

"Er, how the hell am I alive? Those kinds of injury are usually lethal, I'm pretty sure. Wait, don't tell me we're all dead!"

Ace lifted his hand reflexively, but lowered it before it could connect with my head. "Idiot! We're alive! There was this weird Iva person who injected you with something. That's the only reason you're here right now, and not buried in a ditch!"

"Iva…" I muttered. That name was familiar, somehow. "Wait, was this Iva wearing fishnet stockings, by any chance? Big head, curly hair and a lot of make-up?"

"You were conscious back then?"

"No. I don't think so, at least. But that person's the famous queen of the pinkest island in all the world!" I gleefully declared. "Oh, they are also a revolutionary."

"…pinkest island? I don't even wanna know." Ace got up from his chair and retrieved a newspaper. "Here, it's today's issue. I'm going to bring some food and tell Gramps you're awake now, ok? If you move from the bed, I'll tie you to it."

"Ok. I'll wait here," I acquiesced, taking the newspaper from his hands.

When Ace closed the door, I frowned.

According to the date in the newspaper, it had been only three days since I was injured. Not nearly enough time to heal such severe wounds to the point I could move my torso almost freely.

In fact, the only way I could have recovered in such a short period would be if my cell renovation rate had been greatly accelerated.

There's a limit to how many times human cells can multiply, though.

If—

* * *

Night falls, gray besieges the rotten city (pt. 2)_end


End file.
